STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1006

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1442

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1442, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to clarify and update the responsibilities of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division of the Department of Health to reflect the current mental health systems of care that address the mental health needs of children and adolescents in the State.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division of the Department of Health, Office of Wellness and Resilience, State Council on Mental Health, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, and three individuals.

Your Committees find that mental health is a critically important component of public health in the State, particularly as it pertains to some of the most vulnerable members of the population: children and adolescents. Adverse childhood experiences have been proven to result in harmful mental health conditions later in life, and intervention is crucial to the treatment of minors who are experiencing distress or trauma. Without appropriate mental health care at the correct time during adolescence, young individuals in need of treatment may develop issues that severely limit their abilities to safely reach adulthood, let alone function meaningfully in society as adults. Updating the manner in which critical services are provided to the youth community will further create long-term benefits that span future generations by interrupting cycles of violence and generational trauma. This measure will address the necessity of proper mental health care for children and adolescents in the State by updating the responsibilities of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division of the Department of Health to reflect modern principles of youth mental health care services.

Your Committees respectfully request that subsequent Committees to which this measure is referred consider whether it is necessary to include the statutory amendment in section 3 to state that necessary mental health services for children and adolescents are subject to available funding.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of April 23, 2057, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1442, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1442, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means,

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair