STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2248

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2735

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. 2735 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISIS STABILIZATION BEDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Adult Mental Health Division of the Department of Health to support increased behavioral health crisis stabilization beds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Judiciary, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center, Hawai‘i Primary Care Association, Hawai‘i Psychological Association, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Partners in Care – Oahu Continuum of Care, Community Empowerment Resources, Prevent Suicide Hawai‘i Taskforce, and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that there is a lack of short-term behavioral health stabilization services throughout the State. As a result, individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis seek treatment at hospital emergency rooms and utilize a great amount of health care resources only to gain short—term outcomes and creating unnecessary burdens on emergency departments, law enforcement, and individuals living with behavioral health issues. Studies have shown that the cost of crisis stabilization centers is significantly less than emergency rooms and psychiatric inpatient units. This measure appropriates funds to the Adult Mental Health Division of the Department of Health to support increased behavioral health crisis stabilization centers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting a blank appropriation amount;

(2) Inserting an effective date of January 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. 2735, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2735, 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