STAND. COM. REP. NO.  318

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1370

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1370 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR THE ADULT MENTAL HEALTH DIVISION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation for fiscal year 2006-2007 of $8,377,698 from general funds to the Department of Health for ongoing services provided by the department's adult mental health division.

     Your Committee finds that this emergency appropriation is necessary to continue existing services during a period in which increasing numbers of people require access to adult mental health services.  This increase is due in large part to the settlement agreement in United States v. State of Hawaii, et al., under which processes and services were put into place that allow consumers in Hawaii to more effectively access services.

     The Department of Health, Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness – O‘ahu submitted testimony in support of this measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1370 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair