STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1168-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   S.B. No. 2560

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2560, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the mental health of homeless persons by:

(1)  Requiring the Department of Health to provide treatment and care for homeless individuals to enable them to reside in a permanent dwelling unit or homeless facility;

(2)  Expanding the Director of Health's authority to include contracting with any individual for outreach services, with a priority for outreach services for the homeless;

(3)  Including becoming homeless by reason of serious and persistent mental health challenges as a factor in applying for community residential treatment system services; and

(4)  Appropriating funds to provide treatment and care for homeless individuals with serious and persistent mental health challenges to enable them to reside in a permanent dwelling unit or homeless facility.

The Department of Health, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Hawaii Association of Professional Nurses, The Salvation Army Addiction Treatment Services and Family Treatment Services, PAIMI and Waipahu Aloha Clubhouse, and a few individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness commented on this measure.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1)  Specifying that the requirement that the Department of Health provide treatment and care for homeless individuals to enable them to reside in a permanent dwelling unit or homeless facility refers specifically to homeless individuals with serious and persistent mental health challenges;

(2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2112, to facilitate further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2560, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2560, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________ DEE MORIKAWA, Chair

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair