STAND. COM. REP. NO. 511

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1494

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1494 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish and fund a working group within the Department of Health to evaluate current behavioral health care and related systems and promote effective integration of services to improve response and coordination of care for persons experiencing substance abuse, mental health conditions, and homelessness.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Department of Health, Department of Human Services, Department of Public Safety, Hawaii Medical Service Association, Mental Health America of Hawai‘i, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, and one individual.

Your Committees find that there is an inarguable intersection between opioid and other substance abuse, mental health, and homelessness. Across the country, counties and states have implemented patient entry systems that coordinate access to behavioral health and substance abuse services, which have resulted in increased efficiency and patient access to care. Integrating the State's behavioral health care system will help ensure that individuals experiencing chronic substance abuse, mental health conditions, homelessness, and other chronic conditions can access a continuum of care that promotes community stabilization and health while decreasing overutilization of high-cost acute care services. Your Committees acknowledge the work that is already being done in the State to coordinate care between service providers and find that this measure will continue to support those efforts.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the membership of the working group;

(2) Specifying that the working group shall be exempt from the posting requirements for open meetings;

(3) Dissolving the working group on June 30, 2021; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1494, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1494, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________ RUSSELL E. RUDERMAN, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair