STAND. COM. REP. NO. 731-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2278

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2278 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the Suicide Prevention Task Force to develop a strategic plan to reduce suicide in Hawaii by 25 percent by 2025.

Hawaii Catholic Conference, Prevent Suicide Hawaii Taskforce, Hawaii Family Forum, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Mental Health America of Hawaii, and a few concerned individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Health and Honolulu County Republican Party offered comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the name of the task force to the Prevent Suicide Hawaii Taskforce and establishing it under the Department of Health;

(2) Enabling the appointing officials of members of the Prevent Suicide Hawaii Taskforce to select a designee to participate in the member's absence;

(3) Removing the sunset date for the Taskforce;

(4) Adding additional members to the Taskforce including: members from each County; representatives from each branch of the military; and representatives from the Departments of Education, Public Safety, Human Services, and the Judiciary;

(5) Enabling the chair of the Taskforce to appoint additional members, for the purposes of inclusion and balancing of interests;

(6) Requiring the Taskforce to develop and propose general and specific policies to the Legislature based on the goals, themes, and formal objectives of the Prevent Suicide Hawaii Taskforce Report;

(7) Requiring an annual report to the Legislature;

(8) Requiring the meetings of the Taskforce to be open to the public;

(9) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(10) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, style, and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2278, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2278, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health & Human Services,

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair