STAND. COM. REP. NO. 124

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 603

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 603 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to hire school-based youth mental health specialists for Department of Education schools.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, State Public Charter School Commission, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus, Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center, Hawai‘i Association of School Psychologists, Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action, and nine individuals.

Your Committee finds that Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and other people of color have disproportionately high rates of suicide. Suicide rates and suicide attempts are also disproportionately high among the State's youth. Your Committee recognizes that these rates demonstrate the need for funding to hire additional specialists to provide mental health services in Hawaii's schools.

Your Committee notes the concern raised by the State Public Charter School Commission in its testimony regarding the hiring of school-based youth mental health specialists to also be for public charter schools.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to June 30, 3000; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 603, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 603, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Health & Homelessness.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair