STAND. COM. REP. NO.  220-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 2406

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2406 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Department of Health to convene a mental health and substance abuse parity working group to determine how the State can comply with federal mental health and substance abuse parity laws and regulations, and enhance existing state mental health parity laws.

The Hawaii Medical Service Association, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and several individuals testified in support of the measure.  The Department of Health, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and Legislative Reference Bureau commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Specifying that the working group shall work in conjunction with the Governor's Health Care Transformation Coordinator to accomplish the purposes of this measure;

(2)  Retaining the number of members on the working group, but broadening references to the membership to reflect a representative from a mental health advocacy and support organization and a representative from a clinical service organization;

(3)  Giving the Department of Health Adult Mental Health Division more discretion in appointing an individual to the working group, rather than limiting the appointment to a psychiatrist;

(4)  Specifying that the working group's report to the Legislature shall include findings and recommendations on behavioral health systems with an emphasis on primary and secondary prevention and de-stigmatization of mental health and substance abuse issues;

(5)  Requiring the working group to submit a draft of any proposed legislation to the Legislative Reference Bureau no later than November 1, 2013;

(6)  Including an unspecified appropriation to the Department of Health for purposes of funding the working group created by this measure;

(7)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion; provided that the appropriation contained in section 3 shall take effect on July 1, 2012, consistent with the beginning of the state's fiscal year; and

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

     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 H.B. No. 2406, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2406, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair