STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1085-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2482

S.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 2482, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WELLNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the temporary Office of Wellness and Resilience as a semi-autonomous entity within the Office of the Governor to support and implement the statewide framework developed by the Trauma-Informed Care Task Force established pursuant to Act 209, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Department of Health, Executive Office on Early Learning, Early Learning Board, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, Hawaii Youth Services Network, HawaiiKidsCAN, Hawai‘i Community Foundation, Parents And Children Together, Early Childhood Action Strategy, Kamehameha Schools, Keiki O Ka Aina, Hawaii Community Foundation, National Association of Social Workers - Hawai‘i, and five individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that early adverse childhood experiences shape the physical architecture of a child's developing brain and can prevent the development of a sturdy foundation for learning, quality health, and positive behavior. Strong, frequent, or prolonged stress in childhood caused by adverse childhood experiences can become toxic stress, impacting the development of a child's fundamental brain architecture and stress response systems. Your Committee further finds that a critical factor in buffering children from the effects of toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences is the existence of supportive, stable relationships between children, their families, caregivers, and other important adults in their lives. The Office of Wellness and Resilience established by this measure ensures that the individual reform efforts taken by various agencies to address trauma-informed care will be coordinated and integrated into statewide framework for trauma-informed care and responses.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that departments may assign additional employees from existing positions to the Office of Wellness and Resilience;

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

(3) 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 S.B. No. 2482, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2482, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair