STAND. COM. REP. NO.  388-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 2559

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2559 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the family courts to consider assisted community treatment as an alternative to commitment to a psychiatric facility for a person subject to a petition for involuntary hospitalization.  This measure also repeals the sunset date of current statutes establishing criteria and procedures for family court-ordered assisted community treatment.

The Hawai‘i Psychological Association and Hawaii Association of Professional Nurses testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Health, Department of the Attorney General, and Hawaii Disability Rights Center commented on this measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2070, to facilitate 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 Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2559, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2559, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair