STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2563

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2222

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 2222 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate moneys as a grant-in-aid to the Emergency Services Department of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee did not receive any testimony on this measure.

Your Committee finds that the Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement Program (C.O.R.E.) provides services to Oahu's unsheltered population and response to non-violent homeless-related emergency calls using refurbished city ambulances. The C.O.R.E. response team comprises emergency medical technicians and community health workers trained in relationship building, extending compassion, problem-solving, and crisis prevention intervention. As the C.O.R.E. program provides a valuable service to the State's homeless community, adequate funding is needed to continue operations. This measure provides for the continuity of services under the C.O.R.E. program to address non-violent homeless-related emergency calls.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2222 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Operations,

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ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair