CONFERENCE
COMMITTEE REP. NO. 183-24
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2024
RE: S.B. No. 3139
S.D. 2
H.D. 3
C.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2024
State of Hawaii
Honorable Scott K. Saiki
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2024
State of Hawaii
Sirs:
Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 3139, S.D. 2, H.D. 3, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRISIS SERVICES,"
having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.
The purpose of this measure is to:
(1) Establish a Crisis Intervention and Diversion Services Program within the Department of Health to expand existing services to divert those with mental health issues to appropriate health care services;
(2) Require the Department of Law Enforcement to coordinate crisis intervention training for state and county law enforcement agencies and training and certification for crisis intervention officers;
(3) Define "mental health emergency worker" and "crisis intervention officer"; and
(4) Appropriate funds.
Your Committee on Conference finds that thousands of people in the State are cited or arrested each year for offenses such as drinking liquor in public, loitering in public parks after hours, and camping on sidewalks, beaches, and other restricted public places. Most of these people suffer from issues relating to drugs, alcohol, or mental illness and may be better served through the health care system, rather than the criminal justice system. This measure establishes a Crisis Intervention and Diversion Services Program to ensure that persons having mental illnesses or co-occurring mental illnesses and substance use disorders receive appropriate treatment.
Your Committee on
Conference has amended this measure by:
(2) Deleting
language that would have included in the list of positions excepted from
State's Civil Service Law, three Crisis Intervention Coordinator
positions in the Department of Law Enforcement;
(3) Amending
section 334-59, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which governs emergency
examination and hospitalization of persons who are deemed imminently dangerous
to self or others, by inserting language that:
(A) Clarifies when a law enforcement officer may gain control of the person and the procedures the officer shall take to call for assistance from a mental health emergency worker;
(B) Requires a Crisis Intervention Officer to call a mental health emergency worker if the Officer has probable cause to believe that the person is imminently dangerous to self or others, to determine if the person should be transported by ambulance or other suitable means to a behavioral health crisis center designated by the director; and
(C) Defines "crisis intervention officer";
(4) Deleting
language that would have appropriated funds;
(5) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended
purpose;
(6) Making it effective upon its approval; and
(7) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments
for the purposes of clarity and consistency.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3139, S.D. 2, H.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3139, S.D. 2, H.D. 3, C.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:
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ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE |
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ON THE PART OF THE SENATE |
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____________________________ JENNA TAKENOUCHI Co-Chair |
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____________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA Chair |
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____________________________ LISA MARTEN Co-Chair |
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____________________________ SHARON MORIWAKI Co-Chair |
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____________________________ DAVID A. TARNAS Co-Chair |
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____________________________ KARL RHOADS Co-Chair |
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____________________________ SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO Co-Chair |
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