STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1434

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 67

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor and Technology, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 67 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT TO MORE CLOSELY COOPERATE WITH THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT UNITS ASSIGNED TO STATE AGENCIES COMPRISING THE STATE'S PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM TO DETERMINE THE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO EXPEDITE HIRING AND FILLING CRITICAL VACANCIES, INCLUDING SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THE OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES UNIQUE TO THE MENTAL HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Human Resources Development to more closely cooperate with the human resources development units assigned to state agencies comprising the State's public mental health care system to determine the necessary actions to expedite hiring and filling critical vacancies, including solutions to address the obstacles and challenges unique to the mental health care workforce.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development, State Council on Mental Health, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that mental health professionals in the State's public mental health system are experiencing high levels of burnout due to excessive caseloads, administrative burdens, and exposure to trauma, resulting in high turnover rates. Your Committee further finds that difficulty in maintaining a stable workforce threatens the quality, sustainability, and stability of the State's provision of mental health care to people in need. Negative impacts on the availability and quality of care are most harmful to the State's vulnerable populations, including children and the elderly. This measure urges closer cooperation between the Department of Human Resources Development and human resources units assigned to state agencies within the public mental health care system to expedite and modernize recruitment and retention practices to improve access to mental health services in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Department of Human Resources Development is requested to cooperate with the state agencies comprising the State's public mental health care system, rather than the Department's human resources development units assigned to those agencies;

(2) Adding the Director of Health, Director of Human Services, Superintendent of Education, Director of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Chief Justice of the Judiciary as recipients of certified copies of this measure;

(3) Amending its title accordingly; 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 Labor and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 67, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 67, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor and Technology,

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HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Chair