STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3760

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2505

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2505, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ASSISTED COMMUNITY TREATMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to clarify that community mental health outpatient programs that have agreed to provide mental health services to a defendant as part of an assisted community treatment order may prepare a certificate for assisted community treatment and provide the certificate to a defendant and may file an assisted community treatment petition with the Family Court.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Hawaiʻi Psychological Association; and The Institute for Human Services, Inc.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from three individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Judiciary and Aloha Independent Living Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that, for many defendants found "unfit to proceed" in criminal proceedings, these individuals do not meet the strict criteria for involuntary hospitalization but still require significant mental health intervention. Many of these individuals are often released untreated due to the absence of a clear bridge to community-based care. This measure addresses this issue by empowering community mental-health outpatient programs to be involved in legal and clinical preparation for assisted community treatment to strengthen coordination between inpatient clinical teams and outpatient providers and ensure that patients receive the necessary treatment in the least restrictive setting possible.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2505, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair