STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2589

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 3068

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3068 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 enable the continuation of existing adult mental health services to meet the needs of the increasing mental health population.

     More specifically, the measure appropriates $10,000,000 from the general fund for the current fiscal year to pay for the following:

     (1)  Services provided by the Department of Health's Adult Mental Health Division in the areas of case management, crisis services, treatment services, rehabilitation services, and housing;

     (2)  Revenue shortfall caused by a deficit in federal matching funds; and

     (3)  Higher operational costs at the Hawaii State Hospital.

     Testimony supporting the bill was received from the Department of Health, the Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, and CARE Hawaii, Inc.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Increasing the general fund appropriation to $10,250,443; and

     (2)  Appropriating $1,200,000 from the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Special Fund, thereby also increasing the ceiling for the fund by that amount.

     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 S.B. No. 3068, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3068, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair