STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2165

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 787

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. 787 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Health to establish and operate a free statewide mental health warm line to provide mental health support in non-emergency situations.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, United Self‑Help, and three individuals.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Libertarian Party of Hawaii and one individual.

Your Committee finds that a "warm line" is a confidential, free phone service offering mental health support to individuals who are experiencing psychological distress but are not actively in danger of harming themselves or others. Your Committee further finds that there is a need for a statewide "warm line" to provide nonclinical mental health support over the telephone for non‑emergency situations. This measure strengthens the State's mental health support system by offering early intervention before distress escalates and reduces unnecessary use of emergency and crisis services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation from $250,000 to an unspecified amount to encourage further discussion;

(2) Updating the fiscal year to reflect the current legislative session; and

(3) Inserting an effective date of December 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

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 $570,137 for the equipment, training, and operational expenses necessary to establish and operate a mental health warm line that is available statewide at no cost to users.

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. 787, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 787, 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