STAND. COM. REP. NO. 650

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 943

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 943 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Expand existing crisis intervention programs by implementing a homeless triage and treatment center program for homeless individuals and individuals at risk of being homeless, and who have substance abuse issues or mental illness, within the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division in the Department of Health; and

(2) Appropriate funds to the Department of Health to implement the program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Statewide Office on Homelessness & Housing Solutions; Department of Health; Office of the Public Defender; Waikiki Health; The Institute for Human Services, Inc.; Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center; and six individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii has one of the highest per capita rates of homelessness in the nation, with a significant portion of the homeless population experiencing chronic homelessness, mental illness, substance use disorders, and other disabling conditions. Many of these individuals frequently rely on emergency medical services, costing the State's health care system millions of dollars each year. Despite the efforts of existing crisis intervention programs, a major gap remains in the State's behavioral health care system for homeless individuals in need of immediate intervention. This measure establishes a homeless triage and treatment center program within the Department of Health's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division to expand these critical services statewide.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $5,400,000, which includes the costs for facility acquisition and renovation.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 943, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 943, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services & Homelessness,

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair