STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3480

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1541

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1541 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SUICIDE PREVENTION AND AWARENESS MONTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend Act 36, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, to change the effective date from July 1, 2050, to July 1, 2024.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health and one individual.

Your Committee finds that suicide remains an issue for the State, with the State experiencing more than two hundred suicides per year. To raise awareness of this issue, the Legislature passed Act 36, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, which designated the month of September as Hawaii Suicide Prevention Month. However, the effective date of Act 36, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, was July 1, 2050. This measure will correct the error and increase public awareness of suicide prevention.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1541, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair