HB1175

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the assistance provided by law enforcement officers during interactions with individuals experiencing homelessness, behavioral health issues including substance use, or mental health issues is greatly enhanced when the officers are part of a more coordinated and collaborative approach involving social service providers having specialized training and experience in addressing the needs of these individuals.

The legislature recognizes the efforts made by the Honolulu police department under the law enforcement assisted diversion program, also known as the LEAD program, and other efforts made by neighbor island police departments under similar pilot programs. More specifically, the Honolulu program aimed to improve public safety and reduce criminal behavior by connecting nonviolent offenders, or individuals at high risk of arrest, with social service providers in lieu of arrest. As implemented within the city and county of Honolulu, the program focused on individuals whose criminal activity is due to behavioral health issues, and provided intensive case management services to ensure that these individuals received assistance with housing, substance use, and mental illness. The legislature funded the Honolulu program in 2017 through the alcohol and drug abuse division of the department of health, in collaboration with the governor's coordinator on homelessness. A two-year program evaluation report published in 2020 found that program clients reported decreased use of emergency shelters, decreased hospital admissions, fewer emergency room visits, and decreased methamphetamine use. The report also found that clients experienced greater housing stability and an overall improvement in their quality of life, due to receiving more social support and experiencing less stress and improved mental health.

Given the demonstrated success of the law enforcement assisted diversion program on Oahu and in neighbor island counties, the legislature believes that funding should be provided to support a similar approach involving increased interagency coordination and collaboration between county law enforcement agencies and social service providers.

The purpose of this Act is to:

(1) Require county police departments to provide updated and expanded training, in collaboration and consultation with the department of health and university of Hawaii, to officers who have frequent contact with individuals experiencing homelessness, behavioral health issues including substance use, or mental health issues;

(2) Appropriate funds to the county police departments, department of health, and the university of Hawaii for coordinated and collaborative activities including training activities, referrals to service providers, and technical assistance; and

(3) Require reports to the legislature on the disposition of moneys appropriated under this Act.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the police departments of the counties of Hawaii, Maui, Kauai, and the city and county of Honolulu to provide updated and expanded training, in collaboration and consultation with the department of health and university of Hawaii, to officers who have frequent contact with individuals experiencing homelessness, behavioral health issues including substance use, or mental health issues; provided that sums appropriated shall be allocated as follows:

(1) $ to the police department of Hawaii county;

(2) $ to the police department of Maui county;

(3) $ to the police department of Kauai county; and

(4) $ to the police department of the city and county of Honolulu.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the respective county police departments for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the department of health to provide trained personnel to accompany county police officers to calls involving individuals experiencing homelessness, behavioral health issues including substance use, or mental health issues, for the purpose of providing assistance in addressing the particular needs of these individuals, including referrals to any necessary support and treatment services; provided that the department of health shall also collaborate and consult with the county police departments with respect to the officer training required to be provided by the county police departments under section 2 of this Act.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the university of Hawaii to provide technical assistance in collaboration and consultation with the county police departments and department of health, which may include the following or any combination thereof:

(1) Training and professional development opportunities, which may include continuing education courses, for behavioral health and mental health personnel employed or contracted by the department of health;

(2) The development of a school-to-work pipeline to rapidly respond to the increased demand for behavioral health, mental health, and other social service providers, which may include the establishment of paid student externships wherein students enrolled in a health science or social science related program of the university of Hawaii system may gain practical work experience in assisting individuals experiencing homelessness, behavioral health issues including substance use, or mental health issues, under the supervision of qualified department of health personnel; and

(3) Assessment and evaluation of the current degree of coordination and collaboration between county law enforcement agencies, the department of health and any of its contracted service providers, and any other relevant stakeholders involved in assisting individuals experiencing homelessness, behavioral health issues including substance use, or mental health issues.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the university of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. The police departments of the counties of Hawaii, Maui, Kauai, and of the city and county of Honolulu, the department of health, and the university of Hawaii shall each submit a report of its respective findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2026. Each report shall include information on:

(1) The disposition of moneys appropriated under sections 2, 3, and 4 of this Act, as applicable, including categories and amounts of expenditures and recipients of moneys received;

(2) The number of clients assisted by each entity receiving moneys under this Act and the number of interactions with each of those clients; and

(3) Any measurable outcomes that are directly attributable to the entity's receipt of moneys under this Act.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that sections 2, 3, and 4 of this Act shall take effect on July 1, 2023.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1175
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII