STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2170

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3139

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 3139 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a Crisis Intervention and Diversion Services Program within the Department of Health to expand existing services to divert those with mental health issues to appropriate health care services;

(2) Define "mental health emergency worker"; and

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

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Governor, Department of Health, The Judiciary, Disability and Communication Access Board, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, United Self-Help, Community Alliance on Prisons, and two individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Disability Rights Center and The Queen's Health System.

Your Committee finds that thousands of people in the State are cited or arrested each year for offenses such as drinking liquor in public, loitering in public parks after hours, and camping on sidewalks, beaches, and other restricted public places. Most of these people suffer from issues relating to drugs, alcohol, or mental illness and may be better served through the health care system, rather than the criminal justice system. This measure will support the development and implementation of a system of services that are specifically designed to address the needs of people experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

Your Committee notes the testimony of the Department of Health requesting an appropriation of $6,700,000, rather than the $6,000,000 proposed in the measure, to implement the program. Therefore, your Committee respectfully requests that your Committee on Ways and Means consider inserting an appropriation amount of $6,700,000 for fiscal year 2024-2025.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Crisis Intervention and Diversion Services program redirects persons experiencing not just mental health disorders but also, co-occurring mental health disorders and substance use disorders;

(2) Clarifying that the Department of Health may operate a behavioral health crisis center to treat and refer individuals in behavioral health crisis;

(3) Inserting language to expand referrals to psychiatric facilities to include other facilities designated by the Director of Health;

(4) Inserting an unspecified appropriation amount to facilitate further discussion;

(5) Inserting an effective date of December 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3139, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3139, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair