STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1652-16

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 Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2560, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs 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 with serious and persistent mental health challenges to enable them to reside in a permanent dwelling unit or homeless facility and appropriating funds to provide such treatment and care;

(2)  Authorizing the Director of Health to contract with any person for outreach services, with priority given to outreach services for homeless individuals with serious and persistent mental health challenges; and

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

The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Mental Health America of Hawaii, and an individual testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Health commented on this measure.   

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2560, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair