STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1142-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 3139

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health & Homelessness and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 3139, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRISIS SERVICES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a Crisis Intervention and Diversion Services Program within the Department of Health to expand existing crisis intervention and diversion services to divert persons in crisis from the criminal justice system to the health care system; and

(2) Appropriate funds for the Crisis Intervention Efforts and Diversion Services Program.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary; Department of Health; Department of Law Enforcement; State Council on Mental Health; The Institute for Human Services, Inc; AlohaCare; Hawaii Medical Association; Hawai‘i Psychological Association; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; Opportunity Youth Action Hawai‘i; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; Community Alliance on Prisons; and three individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from The Queen's Health System.

Your Committees find that the current safety net of programs and services that addresses individuals with mental illness and justice system involvement is neither robust enough nor sufficiently inter-connected to assure appropriate, cost-effective, timely, and efficacious interventions. This has produced a revolving door effect in health care and criminal justice where a minority of cases drains a disproportionate amount of resources unnecessarily. Facilitating earlier intervention and access to more effective treatments for persons with serious mental illness, including those who may be imminently dangerous to self or others.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Law Enforcement to coordinate crisis intervention training for state and county law enforcement agencies and the training and certification of crisis intervention officers;

(2) Defining "crisis intervention officer";

(3) Beginning July 1, 2026, authorizing a crisis intervention officer who has probable cause to believe a person is imminently dangerous to themselves or others to have that person transported to a designated behavior health crisis center for further evaluation and possible emergency hospitalization;

(4) Including two unspecified appropriations to the Department of Law Enforcement for:

(A) The establishment of three crisis intervention coordinator positions; and

(B) The training and certification of officers in mental health first aid and the crisis intervention team model;

(5) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(6) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health & Homelessness and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3139, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3139, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health & Homelessness and Human Services,

____________________________ LISA MARTEN, Chair

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair