68
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.R. NO.              H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE  RESOLUTION
  REQUESTING THE STATE HEALTH PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY TO
    REQUIRE A SOCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT TO BE SUBMITTED FOR ANY
    PROPOSED YOUTH FACILITY INVOLVING MENTAL HEALTH OR PUBLIC
    SAFETY IN A COMMUNITY.



 1        WHEREAS, the State needs a treatment facility in Hawaii
 2   for juvenile sex offenders to rehabilitate these children at
 3   home in Hawaii, close to their families; and
 4   
 5        WHEREAS, the Department of Health has planned, and has
 6   begun construction of a full-time residential treatment
 7   facility to treat up to ten children aged twelve to seventeen
 8   who have exhibited inappropriate sexual behavior at the Waimano
 9   Training School and Hospital in Pearl City, which is set to be
10   turned over to the Department of Land and Natural Resources on
11   July 1, 2000; and
12   
13        WHEREAS, these youths, now being treated on the Mainland,
14   would receive mental health therapy required by the Felix
15   Consent Decree; and
16   
17        WHEREAS, unfortunately, although scheduled to open in
18   June, 2000, the Department of Health did not inform the
19   community of its plans until January, 2000, by which time
20   construction on the facility had already begun; and
21   
22        WHEREAS, although the Legislature appropriated $1,500,000
23   for such a facility two years ago, the site for the proposed
24   facility had not been considered at the time; and
25   
26        WHEREAS, proposing a mental health treatment center for
27   juvenile sex offenders would raise concerns in any
28   neighborhood, but especially if the community in which the
29   proposed use is intended is not informed and input is not
30   solicited; and
31   
32        WHEREAS, earlier communication and community involvement
33   would have led to community-approved safety and security
34   measures as part of the planning, design, and construction of
35   the project; and

 
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                                  H.R. NO.              H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1        WHEREAS, because a proposed youth facility of this sort
 2   would clearly affect any community, it is in the public
 3   interest to require a social impact statement and ancillary
 4   public hearings to be held in a community whenever a mental
 5   health, public safety, or other similar youth facilities are
 6   proposed in a community; now, therefore,
 7   
 8        BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
 9   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
10   of 2000, that the State Health Planning and Development Agency
11   is requested to require a social impact statement to be
12   submitted for any mental health, public safety, or other
13   similar proposed youth facilities in a community; and
14   
15        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Health Planning and
16   Development Agency is requested to work with the Department of
17   Health to develop a departmental public information meeting
18   process for purchase of service contracts that would require
19   public information meetings be held within three months of the
20   contract award date, and the information from such public
21   information meetings be forwarded to the purchase of service
22   applicants for incorporation in their grant proposal; and 
23   
24        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Health Planning and
25   Development Agency is further requested to develop and submit
26   to the Legislature any necessary proposed legislation for
27   introduction at least twenty days prior to the convening of the
28   Regular Session of 2001; and
29   
30        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
31   Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health and the
32   Administrator of the State Health Planning and Development
33   Agency.