Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 683, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize an emergency appropriation of $5,359,886 for fiscal year 2004-2005 from the general fund to the Department of Health.

The bill also increases the authorized expenditure ceiling of the mental health and substance abuse special fund by $2,500,000.

Your Committee finds that although funds were appropriated to the Department of Health for adult mental health services for the fiscal year 2004-2005, the Department of Health is unable to meet its fiscal obligation to provide services to certain adults with severe mental illness.

Your Committee has amended this bill by changing the emergency appropriation amount to $3,930,000 and by increasing the authorized expenditure ceiling for the mental health and substance abuse special fund to $3,500,000 instead of $2,500,000.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 683, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 683, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.