STAND. COM. REP. NO 383

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1175

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Health and Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 1175 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII STATE HOSPITAL,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Require the Department of Health and Hawaii State Hospital to implement certain recommendations made by the Senate Special Investigative Committee on the Hawaii State Hospital and submit a written report to the Legislature of its status of implementing certain recommendations prior to the Regular Sessions of 2016 and 2017; and

 

     (2)  Appropriate funds to the Department of Health for the planning and design of a new state forensic mental health hospital.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and Hawaii Disability Rights Center.

 

     Your Committees find that the Senate Special Investigative Committee on the Hawaii State Hospital was established pursuant to S.R. No. 3, Regular Session of 2014.  The purpose of the Special Investigative Committee was to investigate the workplace safety of all Hawaii State Hospital psychiatric workers and alleged improprieties concerning administrative and employment matters at the Hawaii State Hospital, and submit written findings and recommendations to the Legislature.  The Special Investigative Committee found that the main challenges facing the Hawaii State Hospital are maintaining a safe work environment, meeting the needs of patients and staff, and providing efficient and effective human resources practices.

 

     Your Committees note that it is a priority to improve patient mental health services that focus on acute cases.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that the Department of Health and Hawaii State Hospital shall consider the recommendations made by the Special Investigative Committee, rather than mandating implementation of the recommendations; 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 Health and Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1175, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1175, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Judiciary and Labor,

 

____________________________

GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair

 

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair