STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3852

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 32

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 Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 32 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR'S SENIOR ADVISOR FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND THE JUSTICE SYSTEM TO FORMULATE A PLAN TO INCREASE ACCESS TO THE HAWAII STATE HOSPITAL FOR CERTAIN MENTALLY ILL- CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Governor's Advisor for Mental Health and the Justice System to formulate a plan to increase access to the Hawaii State Hospital for certain mentally-ill criminal defendants.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, and ACLU of Hawaiʻi.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the Governor and Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that in recent years, the Legislature has made various efforts to fund intercept programs to divert individuals experiencing behavioral health crises away from the criminal justice system and into appropriate treatment and support services, but limited coordination between State agencies has resulted in no meaningful reduction in the State's jail population as a result of these initiatives. Your Committee further finds that the Governor's Senior Advisor for Mental Health and the Justice System is uniquely positioned to organize the appropriate state agencies to develop placements for mentally-ill individuals in the State's criminal justice system and persons recently released from the Hawaii State Hospital who are at risk of recidivism. This measure supports access to health and mental health care, diversion from jail where possible, and clinically appropriate pathways to care across the continuum.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending its title to reflect its purpose; and

(2) 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 concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 32, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary, in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 32, S.D. 1.

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

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JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair