STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3049

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3094

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3094, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish, appropriate moneys for, and require a legislative report from a Peer Support Specialist Working Group that is tasked to develop and make recommendations for a framework for peer support specialists in the State.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Judiciary, Department of Human Services, Department of Health, Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Office of Wellness and Resilience, State Council on Mental Health, Commit to Keiki, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Hawaii Families as Allies, National Alliance on Mental Illness Hawaii, Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, EPIC Ohana, Pua Foundation, Opportunity Youth Action Hawaii, Pacific Peer Connection, Koolau Clubhouse, Oahu Lived Experience Council, and numerous individuals.

Your Committee recognizes that peer support specialists have real life experience receiving services from systems of care, and peer support specialists draw upon their own experiences to assist other individuals experiencing similar situations through shared understanding, respect, and mutual empowerment.

Your Committee finds that increasing opportunities for peer support specialists to provide assistance is essential to creating a framework of trauma-informed care and peer support for homeless persons, individuals suffering from mental health disorders, and others in need.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3094, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3094, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair