STAND. COM. REP. NO. 582-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1830

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1830, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish provisional or associate-level licensure requirements and insurance reimbursement allowances for marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, and psychologists in training;

(2) Require psychologist license applicants to possess a doctoral degree and complete certain supervised experience requirements before sitting for the licensing examination; and

(3) Authorize insurance reimbursements for services provided by a supervised social work intern, in certain circumstances.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Board of Psychology; Disability and Communication Access Board; Office of Wellness and Resilience; State Council on Mental Health; Hawaiʻi Counselors Association; Parents And Children Together; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; Pau Hana Counseling, LLC; Mental Health America of Hawaiʻi; Brighter Bound; Center for Healing & Transformation; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; Hoʻoulu Counseling; Trauma Healing Hawaii; Hawaiian Islands Association for Marriage and Family Therapy; National Association of Social Workers; Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Psychological Association; AlohaCare; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Hawaii Medical Service Association.

Your Committee finds that there is clear workforce shortage of mental health providers in the State. In 2022, it was estimated that there were two hundred eighty-four providers per one hundred thousand individuals with a mental health concern in the State. This estimation falls within the second worst quartile compared with other states. Your Committee further finds that when individuals are unable to access needed care early on, their risk increases for escalating symptoms that require high-level, restrictive, intensive, and costly mental health services.

Your Committee also finds that more effective systems and policies are needed to proactively address workforce shortages of mental health providers in Hawaii. This measure supports the ability of graduate students who provide mental health services to remain in the State and provide the much-needed mental health services, while completing their training and licensure requirements.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1830, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair