STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1098

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1465

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1465, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TREATMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require health insurance policies and plan contracts to cover assisted community treatment benefits.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from Partners in Care, Hawaii Kai Homeless Task Force, and Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

Your Committee finds that the health insurance benefit required by this measure will provide community agencies and family members with the financial resources necessary to retain a psychiatric professional to file petitions to obtain assisted community treatment orders for chronically homeless, mentally ill individuals.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1465, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1465, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair