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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE  CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION
  REQUESTING THE STATE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A PROGRAM AND FINANCIAL
    AUDIT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH'S ADULT MENTAL HEALTH
    DIVISION.



 1        WHEREAS, in 1991, the State of Hawaii and the United
 2   States government entered into a settlement agreement to
 3   correct deficiencies at the Hawaii State Hospital; and
 4   
 5        WHEREAS, at a status conference in February 1999, the U.S.
 6   District Court further found the Hawaii State Hospital to
 7   continue to be out of compliance with various requirements of
 8   the court orders; and
 9   
10        WHEREAS, the Governor has requested the 2000 Legislature
11   to appropriate over $14,000,000 in emergency funding for the
12   Adult Mental Health Division's fiscal year 1999-2000 budget;
13   and
14   
15        WHEREAS, the Governor also has requested an additional
16   $23,300,000 in fiscal year 2000-2001 supplemental funding for
17   adult mental health services; and
18   
19        WHEREAS, the Legislature remains concerned that, while it
20   is being asked to appropriate millions of additional dollars
21   for adult mental health services, it has not seen a firm plan
22   of action to address the court orders; and
23   
24        WHEREAS, as the funding authority for the State, it is
25   appropriate that the Legislature, in complying with its
26   fiduciary responsibility, have available as much information as
27   possible before making funding decisions; now, therefore,
28   
29        BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
30   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
31   of 2000, the Senate concurring, that the State Auditor is
32   requested to conduct a program and financial audit of the
33   Department of Health's Adult Mental Health Division; and
34   
35        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Auditor is requested
36   to include information provided directly from those consultants

 
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                                                        S.D. 1
                                                        

 
 1   and experts that the Department of Health and Adult Mental
 2   Health Division have consulted with in the development and
 3   implementation of programs, services, and activities that have
 4   resulted in requests to the Twentieth Legislature, Regular
 5   Session of 2000; and
 6   
 7        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Auditor's review is
 8   requested to include but not be limited to:
 9   
10        (1)  The operations of the Hawaii State Hospital;
11   
12        (2)  The Department of Health's plans to comply with court
13             orders applicable to the Hawaii State Hospital;
14   
15        (3)  The availability of appropriate community-based
16             services for the severely mentally ill; and
17   
18        (4)  The legislative appropriations for the Adult Mental
19             Health Division;
20   
21   and
22   
23        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Auditor is requested
24   to consider how other states have successfully dealt with the
25   challenges of deinstitutionalization of persons with mental
26   illness and developmental disabilities, such as Minnesota,
27   Rhode Island, Oregon, Ohio, New Hampshire, Maine, New York,
28   Vermont, and Washington; and
29   
30        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Auditor is requested
31   to submit the findings of this program and financial audit no
32   later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular
33   Session of 2001; and
34   
35        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
36   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the
37   Director of Health, and the State Auditor.