STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1175-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 3279

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Health & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 3279, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the State of Well-Being Project and a timeline for the project to:

(A) Assess current tiers of mental health support services; and

(B) Enhance existing well-being programming and, when non-existent, build out culturally grounded and community-informed well-being programming to establish mental health support services for key stakeholder communities across the State; and

(2) Appropriate funds for mental health specialist positions within the Office of Wellness and Resilience.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Early Learning; Office of Wellness and Resilience; CARES; Hawaiʻi Youth Services Network; Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!; Maui Chamber of Commerce; Elected Officials to Protect America Code Blue Water Solutions; and five individuals.

Your Committees find that current research on health reveals that mental illness is one of the most pressing challenges humanity is facing today. Your Committees further find that untreated mental illness not only negatively affects the individual struggling with mental health issues but also leads to negative statewide outcomes, including increased unemployment, homelessness, domestic violence, violent crime, and school dropout rates. Your Committees believe that establishing a State of Well-Being Project that provides a tiered approach to address statewide mental health concerns would be of great benefit to the State and those individuals in need of mental health support services.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the meaning of and differences between tier 1 and tier 2 mental health support; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health & Homelessness that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3279, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3279, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Health & Homelessness,

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair

____________________________ LISA MARTEN, Chair