Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2769 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require accreditation and certification rather than licensing of transitional residential and semi-supervised independent living arrangements.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that currently, all facilities for disabled children and adults require licensing. The licensing requirements unnecessarily restrict community based housing options for mentally ill adults residing in less restrictive levels. Current requirements restrict recovering mentally ill adults in these settings from fully resuming their self-care rehabilitation, incremental recovery, and practiced behaviors in independent lifestyles and housing. Alternatively, accreditation and certification requirements are evidenced-based best practice for recovery and community reintegration of mentally ill adults.

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. 2769 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing.