STAND. COM. REP. NO. 935-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2159

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2159, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of the Attorney General to assist with the preparation and filing of petitions for assisted community treatment and with the presentation of cases, unless declined by the petitioner;

(2) Repeal language entitling the subject of a petition for assisted community treatment to legal representation by a public defender;

(3) Provide a mechanism for the automatic screening of certain nonviolent defendants for involuntary hospitalization or assisted community treatment; and

(4) Authorize courts to require certain probation violators to undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment program as a condition of continued probation.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Office of the Public Defender; Disability and Communication Access Board; The Institute for Human Services, Inc.; and two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Disability Rights Center and ACLU of Hawai‘i. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Judiciary and Department of the Attorney General.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2159, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair