STAND. COM. REP. NO. 253-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2580

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 2580 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Allow law enforcement officers to take into custody persons who are apparently mentally ill and behaving in a manner which in a mentally well person would be disorderly;

(2) Clarify certain procedures used to determine if a person is imminently dangerous to self or others;

(3) Establish a statewide temporary restraining order database within the Judiciary;

(4) Appropriate funds to the Department of Health for new and existing licensed psychiatric facilities; and

(5) Establish the Emergency Examination and Hospitalization Subsidy Program within the Department of Health.

Prior to decision making on this measure, your Committees made available for public review a proposed H.D. 1, which deletes the contents of this measure, other than the establishment of the subsidy program, and inserts language to require the Judiciary to establish a mental health first aid training program that provides mandatory eight-hour sessions triennially for personnel in the District and Family Courts whose duties include proceedings for restraining or protective orders.

Your Committees received testimony in support of the proposed H.D. 1 from the Democratic Party of Hawaii and three individuals. Your Committees received comments on the proposed H.D. 1 from the Judiciary, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and The Queen's Health Systems.

Your Committees find that there is a need to provide mental health first aid training to personnel in the District and Family Court systems whose duties include proceedings for restraining or protective orders. Your Committees believe that this training will provide personnel with the skills necessary to assist a person who is developing or has developed a mental health crisis, and to de-escalate crisis situations as needed.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by adopting the proposed H.D. 1 and further amending the measure by:

(1) Removing language establishing the Emergency Examination and Hospitalization Subsidy Program and appropriating funds for this program;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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 H.B. No. 2580, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2580, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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