STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1116

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   S.B. No. 937

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 937 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to continue to work toward effectively reducing the census at the Hawaii State Hospital by:

(1)  Clarifying which statutory provisions govern the process and standards of decision making on applications for conditional release and discharge of forensic patients at the Hawaii State Hospital; and

(2)  Improving the timeframe for the completion of the hearing process and rendering of decisions involving forensic patients by setting a 60-day deadline while providing for an extension if necessary.

     The Department of Health supported this bill.

     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 S.B. No. 937 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair