HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1597
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to MENTAL HEALTH.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the Hawaii state hospital in Kaneohe has been the long-term care facility providing treatment for the State's forensic and non-forensic mentally ill patients across the spectrum of acuteness. The legislature also finds that the Hawaii state hospital has reached capacity due to an overload of forensic patients, who are individuals mandated by a criminal court to receive treatment for mental illness. The Hawaii state hospital currently has no capacity for non-forensic patients. Thus, there is no option for non-forensic patients who need long-term mental health treatment, many of whom suffer from a very high degree of mental illness and are in critical need of long-term professional care.

The purpose of this Act is to establish a long-term care facility that admits and treats non-forensic mental health patients for in-patient or out-patient temporary case management and to require that homeless patients receive priority admission for treatment. As used in this Act, "non-forensic mental health patients" shall not include individuals receiving treatment for mental illness when that treatment is mandated by a criminal court.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $2,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2019-2020 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the establishment of a long-term care facility that admits and treats non-forensic mental health patients for in-patient or out-patient temporary case management; provided that homeless patients receive priority admission for treatment.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2019.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

DOH; Long Term Care Facilities; Non-Forensic Mental Health Patients; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds to the Department of Health for the establishment of a long-term care facility that admits and treats non-forensic mental health patients for in-patient or out-patient temporary case management and requires that homeless patients receive priority admission for treatment.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.