STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2858

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3139

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 3139, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish and appropriate moneys for a crisis intervention and diversion services program within the Department of Health and to define the term "mental health emergency worker."

Your Committees received written comments in support of this measure from the Judiciary, Department of Health, Disability and Communication Access Board, State Council on Mental Health, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Opportunity Youth Action Hawaii, Community Alliance on Prisons, and one individual.

Your Committees received written comments on this measure from The Queen's Health System.

Your Committees find that the crisis intervention and diversion services program established by this measure will help ensure that persons having mental illnesses or co-occurring mental illnesses and substance use disorders receive appropriate treatment. Your Committees further find that these services will help reduce or prevent the person's involvement with the criminal justice system.

Your Committees note that the Department of Health requested amendments to this measure, including technical amendments to Sections 2 and 5, and the deletion of the proposed definition of "mental health emergency worker" and the requirement that the Department of Health establish standards and rules for the designation of such workers, contained in Sections 3 and 4, respectively.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive edits for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3139, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3139, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair