STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2187

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2467

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2467 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII STATE HOSPITAL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Health to implement quality improvement recommendations for the Hawaii State Hospital.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii State Hospital is the only publicly funded state psychiatric hospital in the State. After the Department of Health conducted a comprehensive safety review, a series of quality improvement recommendations were made to increase oversight of safety and security, enhance safety and security measures, and decrease hospital census. This measure ensures that these quality improvement recommendations are implemented.

Your Committee notes that although this measure contains an unspecified appropriation amount and number of positions to be funded, the Department of Health's testimony requests the following:

(1) $920,000 for the purchase of new equipment, including:

(A) Installation of new cameras;

(B) Integration and upgrade of the PA system;

(C) Metal detector wands; and

(D) Urinalysis testing and supplies;

(2) $700,000 to reinforce control of entry and exit points;

(3) $2,745,000 for fourteen new positions and pay increases for existing forensic psychologists; and

(4) $10,000,000 to support the mental health continuum of care, including:

(A) Pay adjustments for existing group homes;

(B) Two new twenty-four-hour group homes;

(C) Two new licensed crisis residential services group homes; and

(D) Enhanced contracted security for the Hawaii State Hospital campus.

Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that these amounts be further considered.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2467, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2467, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

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JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair