STAND. COM. REP. NO. 92

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 622

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 622 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SUICIDE PREVENTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a task force to reduce the suicide rate among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center, Hawai‘i Family Forum, The Queen's Health System, Papa Ola Lokahi, and six individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Public Safety, and University of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Your Committee finds that suicide accounts for twenty-five percent of all fatal injuries in the State. Your Committee further finds that, in 2019, suicide was the leading cause of death for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. This measure is intended to establish a coordinated approach to preventing suicide and suicide attempts, particularly in vulnerable Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, through the establishment of a task force to examine causes of the high rate of suicide in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities and develop best practices for increasing the effectiveness of suicide prevention models among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

Your Committee notes that there is an existing task force, the Prevent Suicide Hawaii Task Force, that is currently working on a strategic plan to reduce suicides in Hawaii. Your Committee believes it will be a more efficient use of resources to codify the existing Prevent Suicide Hawaii Task Force, and incorporate a component focusing on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations, rather than establishing a new task force.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the substantive contents of this measure, which would have established a task force within the Department of Health to reduce the suicide rate among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the State;

(2) Inserting language codifying the existing Prevent Suicide Hawaii Task Force;

(3) Amending the composition of Prevent Suicide Hawaii Task Force;

(4) Amending the focus of the Prevent Suicide Hawaii Task Force to include the prevention of suicide among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders;

(5) Clarifying certain other operational requirements for the Prevent Suicide Hawaii Task Force;

(6) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(7) 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 & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 622, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 622, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair