CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 191

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2007

RE:    S.B. No. 914

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 914, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES OF COMMITTED PERSONS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to address the inadequacies of mental health care services provided to persons committed to Hawaii state correctional facilities by providing funding for improvements and monitoring progress.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that addressing the shortcomings of mental health care for incarcerated persons in Hawaii correctional facilities is important and must be done in a timely manner.

     Your Committee on Conference amended this measure to:

     (1)  Revert to the Senate Draft No. 2 reporting requirements, which require the Department of Public Safety to report to the Legislature with a detailed mental health plan rather than simply submitting a plan;

     (2)  Specify that the report shall be submitted in a written form understandable by lay readers and made available to the public;

     (3)  Appropriate a sum of $500,000 for fiscal year 2007-2008;

     (4)  Change the effective date to July 1, 2007; and

     (5)  Make technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 914, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 914, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ CINDY EVANS, Co-Chair	____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair
____________________________ SHARON E. HAR, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair