STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2310

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2529

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. 2529 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to accommodate the anticipated increase in the volume of calls to the Hawaii CARES Crisis Helpline following the transition of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's dial code to "9‑8‑8" on July 16, 2022.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Prevent Suicide Hawai‘i Task Force, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Coordinated Access Resource Entry System (CARES) is a service that works with a statewide network of service providers focused on crisis intervention, substance use disorder treatment, mental health, and other behavioral health services. Calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline that originate from Hawaii are routed to the CARES line. Your Committee further finds that after July 16, 2022, when the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will begin using the telephone code "9-8-8", there is expected to be an increased call volume to the CARES line. This measure appropriates funds to the Department of Health to prepare for the increase in call volume, and to support the need for increased crisis intervention services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting a blank appropriation amount;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

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. 2529, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2529, 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,

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair