STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1845

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 914

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 914, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to remedy the inadequacies of mental health care services to persons committed to state-operated correctional facilities by:

     (1)  Appropriating funds for improvements to the mental health care system; and

     (2)  Requiring the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to submit to the Legislature a report on various aspects of its delivery of mental health care services to committed persons.

     The Department of the Attorney General, Community Alliance on Prisons, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, National Alliance on Mental Illness Oahu, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  DPS offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

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

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair