STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2940

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2992

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2992, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to, beginning July 1, 2025, and every ten years thereafter, require the Department of Health to convene an Advisory Committee on Mental Health Code Review.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, State Council on Mental Health, and Hawaii Health System Corporation.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Queen's Health System.

Your Committee finds that existing law relating to mental health and involuntary transport, examination, hospitalization, and treatment lack clarity and contain inconsistencies. Your Committee believes that it is important that such an important part of state law receives full and deliberate attention from time to time to ensure the law's continued force and effectiveness. This measure will maintain coherence and effectiveness of the State's mental health laws while advancing the overall goal of improving mental health in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language adding to the membership of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health Code Review a representative from a private acute care hospital that offers psychological or mental health services, to be selected by the Governor;

(2) Inserting language adding to the membership of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health Code Review a representative from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, to be selected by the Governor;

(3) Requiring the Advisory Committee on Mental Health Code Review to submit its report no later than forty days prior to the convening of the regular session immediately following the convening of the Advisory Committee instead of twenty days prior; and

(4) 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 Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2992, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2992, S.D. 2.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair