Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1555 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide for adolescent treatment service at all secondary schools to ensure that students receive needed services within the confines of the school they attend.

The Department of Health, Aloha House, Inc., Blueprint for Change, Oahu Filipino Community Council, The Filipino Coalition For Solidarity, Inc., HINAMAUKA, and numerous citizens testified in support of this bill. The Department of Education supported the intent of this bill.

Your Committees find that this bill would provide treatment to approximately 1,500 students. School-based programs promote a holistic approach to treatment, intervention, and counseling that includes crisis intervention, screening, and assessment. This program would give students who are dependent on drugs a greater chance of avoiding academic failure and dropping out of school.

Your Committees have amended this bill by changing the appropriation amount to $1 for the purposes of continued discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1555, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1555, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.