STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1355

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   S.B. No. 1456

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1456, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR THE ADULT MENTAL HEALTH DIVISION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation for fiscal year 2006-2007 of $7,542,043 from general funds to the Department of Health for ongoing services provided by the department's adult mental health division.

 

     Pursuant to the requirements set forth in Article VII, Section 9, of the Hawaii State Constitution, the Governor, in her Governor's Message No. 234 to the Legislature, requested immediate consideration and passage of this bill by the Legislature citing an existing critical funding shortage.

 

     The Department of Health and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure.

 

     Your Committee finds that this emergency appropriation is necessary to continue existing services during a period in which increasing numbers of people require access to adult mental health services.  This increase is due in large part to the settlement

agreement in United States v. State of Hawaii, et al., under which processes and services were put into place that allow consumers in Hawaii to more effectively access services.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Changing the appropriation from $7,542,043, to $7,958,000 to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1456, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1456, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair