STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1442

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 1494

S.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 1494, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create a working group to evaluate current system gaps and provide recommendations to promote effective integration of behavioral health care and related systems to address the negative impacts of substance abuse, mental health conditions, and homelessness.

The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Department of Health, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Department of Human Services, The Judiciary, Hawaii Medical Service Association, ‘Ohana Health Plan, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Institute for Human Services, Mental Health America of Hawaii, and an individual testified in support. The Office of Information Practices provided comments.

Your Committees find that half of all adults in Hawaii who suffer from mental illness are not receiving adequate treatment, in part because of service gaps in behavioral health care and related services.

Your Committees note that, although no appropriation was included in this measure, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means determined that the working group would require $50,000 in each year of the 2019-2021 fiscal biennium.

Finally, your Committees note the concerns raised by the Office of Information Practices that the working group would meet the definition of a "board", subjecting the working group to Sunshine Law requirements, but that the measure as currently written exempts the working group from the requirement to notify the public when a meeting is being held while simultaneously being held to all other open meeting requirements under part I of chapter 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services & Homelessness that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1494, S.D. 2, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

______________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair