STAND. COM. REP. NO. 230

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 918

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 918 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to continue funding for the suicide prevention coordinator within the department of health and to appropriate funds for suicide prevention services within the department of education.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, the Department of Education, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Mental Health America of Hawai‘i, Papa Ola Lokahi (Native Hawaii Health Board), and one individual.

     Your Committees find that over four thousand youths take their lives annually in the United States, making suicide the third leading cause of death of persons between the ages of ten and twenty-four.  Your Committees further find that in Hawaii, suicide is the second leading cause of death among persons who are fifteen to twenty-four years old.  In 2009 a nationwide behavioral risk survey demonstrated that one out of every eight high school students reported having attempted suicide within the immediately preceding twelve-month period before completing the survey.

     Your Committees also find that the rate of attempted suicides for high school students in Hawaii is more than double the national average.  Males are more likely than females to commit suicide, and native Hawaiian youths are the ethnic group most likely to attempt or commit suicide.

     Your Committees further find that the Department of Health established a Suicide Prevention Coordinator in 2005 under the Injury Prevention and Control Section, EMS and Injury Prevention System Branch through a trade-off transfer utilizing existing resources within the Department.  Your Committees find that this position is currently funded and an additional appropriation is not necessary at this time.

     Your Committees also find that previous cuts to the Department of Education resulted in the elimination of positions that supported suicide prevention community networking in schools.  Restoration of two positions is needed to assist with suicide prevention services within the Department.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting section 2 of this measure which would have continued funding for the Suicide Prevention Coordinator within the Department of Health;

     (2)  Changing the appropriation amount to the Department of Education from an unspecified amount to $120,000 and specifying that the appropriation is for the restoration of Peer Education Program Resource Teacher and full time Clerk-Typist positions to assist with suicide prevention services within the Department of Education;

     (3)  Making conforming amendments to accurately reflect the purpose of the amended measure; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 918, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 918, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Education,

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair