STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1391

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 255

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 255 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT JUNE 27 OF EACH YEAR BE RECOGNIZED AS POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS INJURY AWARENESS DAY AND DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF JUNE OF EACH YEAR AS POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS INJURY AWARENESS MONTH IN HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request that the twenty-seventh day of June of each year be recognized as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day and the month of June of each year be designated as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that post-traumatic stress has been mischaracterized as a mental illness and that the term "disorder" carries a stigma that perpetuates this misconception. Your Committee further finds that electro-magnetic imaging has shown that severe post-traumatic stress causes physical changes in the brain that are more accurately described as an injury than a disorder.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 255 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair