STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2441

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2246

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2246 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRISIS INTERVENTION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish an Expanded Crisis Intervention and Diversion Activities Program within the Department of Health to expand existing activities to divert those with mental health issues to appropriate health care services;

(2) Define "crisis intervention officer";

(3) Authorize a person believed to be imminently dangerous to self or others by a law enforcement officer to be assisted by a crisis intervention officer and transported to a designated crisis center; and

(4) Make appropriations for the Expanded Crisis Intervention and Diversion Activities Program and certification of law enforcement officers in mental health first aid and crisis intervention team model.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, The Judiciary, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, and one individual.

Your Committees find that the people who suffer from mental illness or issues relating to drugs or alcohol are disproportionately issued citations for public intoxication and camping on sidewalks and other restricted places. Your Committees further find that many of those cited do not appear in court, which causes time and resources to be expended in the court system, with police and prosecutors caught in a revolving door situation. This measure expands existing services to better divert persons in crisis from the criminal justice system.

Your Committees note that this measure contains an appropriation for an unspecified amount and requests that the Department of Health determine the appropriate figure to be considered, should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the definition of "crisis intervention officer" to remove certification by the Department of Health;

(2) Deleting language that would have allowed a crisis intervention officer to respond to a call for assistance from a law enforcement officer regarding a person believed to be imminently dangerous to self or others;

(3) Designating that a person believed to be imminently dangerous to self or others by a law enforcement officer to be transported to a facility designated by the Director of Health, rather than a designated crisis center; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2246, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2246, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair