STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2295

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2285

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 S.B. No. 2285 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMPLEX PATIENT TREATMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division of the Department of Health to contract with community-based organizations for a behavioral health complex patient model.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Hina Mauka, Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii, Hawaii Medical Association, and Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center.

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

Your Committee finds that complex patients – those with co‑occurring substance use disorders, mental health disorders, and chronic physical conditions – represent a high-need, high-cost population that requires a modern, integrated care strategy. Your Committee further finds that developing a statewide, evidence‑based complex patient model is needed to close gaps in care, improve outcomes, reduce emergency and inpatient utilization, position the State to compete for federal grants, and align Medicaid and Medicare funding to support integrated services. This measure strengthens substance use disorder treatment in the State by advancing an integrated, complex patient care model that improves outcomes and promotes collaboration among health care providers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Extending the deadline for this measure's required report for the Department of Health from 2027 to 2028; and

(2) Changing the appropriation from $3,000,000 to an unspecified amount, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

Your Committee notes that this measure, as amended, contains an unspecified appropriation amount. Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider inserting an appropriation amount of $3,000,000 for the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division of the Department of Health to contract with community‑based organizations for a behavioral health complex patient model.

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. 2285, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2285, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair