STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3190

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1831

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1831, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRISIS INTERVENTION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Behavioral Health Crisis Center Pilot Program;

(2) Authorize the Department of Health to establish or contract with behavioral health crisis centers in each county;

(3) Require the Adult Mental Health Division of the Department of Health to submit reports on the pilot program to the Legislature; and

(4) Appropriate funds for the pilot program.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Adult Mental Health Division of the Department of Health, Office of the Public Defender, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Judiciary, Disability and Communication Access Board, State Council on Mental Health, County of Hawaiʻi Office of Housing and Community Development, Community Alliance on Prisons, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, The Queen's Health System, Mental Health America of Hawaiʻi, Hawaii Medical Association, AlohaCare, Opportunity Youth Action Hawaiʻi, Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center, ACLU of Hawaiʻi, Reimagining Public Safety in Hawaiʻi Coalition, Hawaiʻi Psychological Association, and four individuals.

Your Committees find that access to, and the provision of, mental health care and services is integral to diverting those individuals who, but for their mental health crisis, would not be involved with the criminal justice system. Your Committees further find that these individuals are best served through crisis intervention and treatment rather than the judicial system or repeated hospitalization, both of which are costly and only a temporary remedy. This measure alleviates the burden on both the criminal justice system and hospitals by diverting those who suffer from substance abuse issues or mental illnesses to behavioral health crisis centers, where they can receive treatment and be redirected to appropriate health care systems and services.

Your Committees note that it is intended that this measure provide assistance to various individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis, and the individuals need not be suicidal to receive services offered by the Behavioral Health Crisis Center Pilot Program established by this measure.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the pilot program shall establish two behavioral health crisis centers, one to be located in Honolulu, and the other to be located on Oahu or on a neighbor island, as determined by the Department of Health;

(2) Inserting language that amends section 334-59, Hawaii Revised Statues, relating to emergency examination and hospitalization of individuals deemed by a law enforcement officer to be imminently dangerous to self or others, to allow for transport or release of the individual to a facility designated by the director other than a licensed psychiatric facility;

(3) Making it effective upon its approval; and

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

Your Committees note that although this measure contains an unspecified appropriation amount, the Department of Health requests the following funds, which are included in House Bill No. 1800, Regular Session of 2024, relating to the State Budget:

(1) $6,700,000 for a Behavioral Health Crisis Center in Iwilei; and

(2) $3,000,000 for a Behavioral Health Crisis Center on a neighbor island.

Therefore, should your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committees respectfully request that they consider inserting these appropriation amounts for the establishment of the Behavioral Health Crisis Centers for fiscal year 2024-2025.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1831, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1831, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair