STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2488

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2482

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2482 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WELLNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a temporary Office of Wellness and Resilience within the Office of the Governor;

(2) Authorize the Office to address issues and implement solutions to improve wellness and resilience, including issues and solutions identified by the Trauma-Informed Care Task Force; and

(3) Appropriate moneys for the establishment of the Office of Wellness and Resilience.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, Department of Public Safety, Department of Human Services, Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, Early Learning Board, Hawaii Family Support Institute, Hawai‘i Community Foundation, HawaiiKidsCAN, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Early Childhood Action Strategy, Family Hui Hawai‘i, Association for Infant Mental Health Hawai‘i, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, Kamehameha Schools, Mental Health America of Hawai‘i, Parent and Children Together, People Attentive to Children, and seven 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 complex and prolonged trauma can have detrimental effects on a person's physical, mental, and behavioral health throughout their life. Studies have shown that traumatic experiences in childhood and adolescence can diminish concentration, memory, and the organizational language abilities students need to succeed in school, thereby negatively impacting a student's academic performance, classroom behavior, and the ability to form relationships. This measure establishes a temporary Office of Wellness and Resilience as a semi-autonomous authority 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.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2482 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair