STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3342

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2408

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2408, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE COMPOSITION OF THE STATE COUNCIL ON MENTAL HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require that certain members of the State Council on Mental Health have a demonstrated knowledge of or work experience involving native Hawaiian concepts of well-being, culturally grounded mental health methodologies, or traditional healing or health practices.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Health and Hawaii Psychological Association.

Your Committee finds that this measure will help to ensure that the State Council on Mental Health may perform its duties of advising, reviewing, and evaluating the allocation and adequacy of mental health resources in the State in a culturally inclusive manner. Your Committee further finds that this measure supports a decrease in the mental health disparities experienced by native Hawaiians in the State by requiring representation of culturally appropriate mental health response strategies to meet the mental health needs of the native Hawaiian population.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(2) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2408, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2408, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair