STAND. COM. REP. NO. 868

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 383

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 383, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Board of Education to establish a youth suicide awareness and prevention training program and model risk referral protocol; and

(2) Require complex areas and charter schools to provide the training program and risk referral protocol to all school personnel who work directly with students in department schools and charter schools, respectively.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association, Hawaii Youth Services Network, LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Parents and Children Together, Mental Health America of Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Psychological Association, Honolulu County Republican Party, and seven individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Board of Education and County of Hawai‘i Office of the Mayor.

Your Committees find that the State has very high rates of suicide, suicide attempts, and suicidal ideation amongst various age groups. Suicide-related behavior has a serious and profound impact on communities that can be reduced with education, awareness, and appropriate mental health treatment. Your Committees note that outside of the home, schools are often the main social institution where children have consistent contact with adults. Therefore, your Committees find that it is important to increase the number of school personnel, such as teachers, principals, janitors, and school counselors, who are trained to identify students at risk of suicide and refer those students to appropriate intervention services.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Board of Education to collaborate with the Department of Health and use the Department of Health's existing suicide awareness and prevention curriculum and materials to develop the training program and model risk referral protocol;

(2) Making the training program and risk referral protocol mandatory for all school personnel who work directly with students; and

(3) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 383, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 383, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Ways and Means,

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair