STAND. COM. REP. NO. 525-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1666

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1666 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create a pilot program to make one or more licensed mental health counselors available to assist county first responders in responding to mental health crises in areas with high rates of homelessness.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu and Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Department of Budget and Finance, and Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that, according to the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, approximately twenty-five percent of homeless persons in the United States suffer from a severe mental illness. Your Committee further finds that law enforcement officers who are dispatched to respond to a homeless person experiencing a mental health crisis often lack the expertise and resources to adequately help.

Your Committee recognizes that the Adult Mental Health Division of the Department of Health currently administers similar crisis mobile outreach services on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu and a continuum of similar services for severely mentally ill adults. Your Committee further recognizes that in October 2021 the City and County of Honolulu launched its Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement program, which is designed to triage and connect homeless individuals to behavioral health and medical services, and collaborates with the Honolulu Emergency Services Department and Honolulu Police Department.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Establishing the pilot program in the Adult Mental Health Division of the Department of Health rather than in the Department of Human Services and adjusting the appropriation expending agency accordingly;

(2) Clarifying that the purpose of the pilot program is to expand existing county programs that make one or more licensed mental health counselors available to assist county first responders in responding to mental health crises in areas in the urban core with high rates of homelessness;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1666, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1666, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair