STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2202
Honolulu, Hawaii
President of the Senate
Twenty-Eighth State Legislature
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2540 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to expedite the development or expansion of a forensic facility at the Hawaii State Hospital by authorizing the Governor to negotiate directly with any person to construct the facility.
This measure also provides for an extended review and comment period for an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Health. The Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO submitted written comments on the measure.
Your Committee finds that the Hawaii State Hospital has experienced overcrowding for many years, and the Department of Health expects the continued increase of high-risk forensic patient admissions for the foreseeable future. The Hawaii State Hospital master plan, which was originally completed in 2005 and updated in 2015, includes the construction of a one hundred forty-four bed forensic facility to address these overcrowding issues. However, under the current timeline, the design and construction of the new facility is expected to take five to eight years, due in large part to the lengthy process of procuring services and obtaining the necessary permits. Your Committee further finds that it is in the public interest to expedite the development and construction of a new facility in view of the present census and health and safety issues at the hospital. Your Committee believes that this measure will significantly speed up the construction process to allow completion of the proposed facility considerably sooner than under the present timeline.
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. 2540 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,
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________________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair |
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