STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1299

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 948

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 948, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for a two-year Child and Adolescent Crisis Mobile Outreach Team Pilot Program on Oahu and one neighbor island site to expand existing crisis response services.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, State Council on Mental Health, Hawaii Medical Association, Parents and Children Together, Hina Mauka, Opportunity Youth Action Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Youth Services Network, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that crisis mobile outreach can be a vital resource for youth as they navigate significant challenges related to adolescence. In particular, crisis mobile outreach has the potential to positively impact youth on the neighbor islands, where resources for mental health are less robust. Crisis mobile outreach would reduce difficulties, costs, and time transporting neighbor island youth to Oahu for acute care and other high-level services. To help strengthen crisis response for youth in the State, this measure expands access to child and adolescent mobile crisis services.

Your Committee notes that the Department of Health estimates the cost of crisis mobile outreach to be $1,340,000 for each island. Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider inserting an appropriation amount of $2,680,000; provided that $1,340,000 shall be appropriated for crisis mobile outreach on Oahu and the remainder for crisis mobile outreach on a neighbor island.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of June 30, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 948, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 948, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair