STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2866

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3279

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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3279 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to facilitate the provision of mental health services.

Specifically, the measure:

(1) Establishes within the Office of the Wellness and Resilience a state of well-being project to assess and enhance certain mental health support services; and

(2) Appropriates moneys to the Office of the Wellness and Resilience to establish an unspecified number of full‑time equivalent mental health specialist positions.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Early Learning, Office of the Public Defender, Office of Wellness and Resilience, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Maui Chamber of Commerce, Elected Officials to Protect America Code Blue Water Solutions, and two individuals.

Your Committee recognizes that mental health issues affect many people of all ages across the State. Your Committee believes that providing for trauma-informed care, which understands and responds to the widespread impact of trauma, would be of great benefit to individuals in need of mental health support services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting definitions for the terms "tier 1 mental health support" and "tier 2 mental health support";

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(3) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 3279, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3279, S.D. 1.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair