STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2066

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2132

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2132 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to restore ninety—nine positions to the Department of Health's Adult Mental Health Division and appropriate funds to fill those positions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Judiciary, and Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that, due to the economic effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the State was required to reduce staff statewide. The Department of Health's Adult Mental Health Division (Division) saw an eleven percent reduction of its staff. This loss of staff has limited the Division's ability to provide critical services for individuals living with serious mental illness. Your Committee finds that given the State's positive economic outlook, these critical positions should be restored so that essential mental health services can be provided.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

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 S.B. No. 2132, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2132, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair