STAND. COM. REP. NO. 509

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1370

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1370, H.D. 1, 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 appropriate emergency funding to the Adult Mental Health Division of the Department of Health.

     A mental health consumer advocate submitted comments in support of this measure.  The Department of Health submitted comments.

     In her Governor's Message No. 234 to the Legislature, the Governor requested immediate consideration and cited an existing critical funding shortage for mental health services.  Your Committee finds that emergency funding is necessary to sustain ongoing services provided by the Adult Mental Health Division.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by removing the contents of the bill and inserting the contents of Senate Bill No. 1456, H.D. 1, which appropriates $7,542,043 for ongoing services provided by the Adult Mental Health Division.

     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. 1370, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1370, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair