STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1272-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2345

S.D. 2

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 Health & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 2345, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Law Enforcement to coordinate crisis intervention training for state and county law enforcement officers and crisis intervention officers;

(2) Authorize a law enforcement officer to call a crisis intervention officer for assistance when the law enforcement officer believes a person is imminently dangerous to self or others; and

(3) Appropriate funds for positions and training and certification of crisis intervention officers.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Office of the Public Defender; Department of Law Enforcement; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Executive Office on Aging; Disability and Communication Access Board; State Council on Mental Health; The Institute for Human Services, Inc.; Hawai‘i Primary Care Association; Alzheimer's Association; State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers; AARP Hawai‘i; Epilepsy Foundation of Hawaii; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; Opportunity Youth Action Hawai‘i; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from The Queen's Health System.

Your Committee finds that many of the individuals cited or arrested in the State for offenses such as drinking liquor in public or camping on sidewalks, beaches, and other restricted places suffer from chronic conditions relating to drugs, alcohol, or mental illness. Your Committee further finds that instead of incarceration, these individuals would be better served by being transported to a medical facility where they can receive treatment for their disorders. This measure is intended to provide law enforcement officers with the training necessary to recognize a person suffering from a mental health crisis and take steps to de-escalate the situation.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Permitting, rather than requiring, the Department of Law Enforcement to coordinate crisis intervention training and restricting the training to state and county law enforcement agencies;

(2) Defining "crisis intervention training";

(3) Deleting the definition of "crisis intervention officer";

(4) Deleting language authorizing a law enforcement officer to call a crisis intervention officer for assistance when the law enforcement officer believes a person is imminently dangerous to self or others;

(5) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(6) 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 S.B. No. 2345, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2345, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair