STAND. COM. REP. NO. 147

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 379

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 379 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Department of Education to provide training on students' mental health issues on an annual basis to complex area superintendents, registered school nurses, and school health aides to support the mental health of students and better support these professionals in meeting the educational needs of students with autism, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and other mental health problems.

The Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Psychological Association, and several individuals testified in support of this measure. The Department of Education provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing the requirement that the Department of Education develop and provide the training at their own expense;

(2) Making any mental health training permissive rather than mandatory;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee notes that experts are willing to work with the Department of Education to develop appropriate training programs to meet students' mental health needs.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 379, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 379, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Lower & Higher Education.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair