STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1201

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1322

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1322, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a trauma-informed care task force within the Department of Health to make recommendations regarding trauma-informed care in the State.  

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Executive Office on Early Learning, Hawaii Pacific Health, Hawaii Community Foundation, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Early Childhood Action Strategy, Kamehameha Schools, Kinai Eha, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

 

     Your Committee finds that adverse childhood events have harmful effects on health care spending, health care utilization, poorly controlled chronic illness, obesity, substance abuse, smoking, and other risk factors later in life.  Your Committee further finds that trauma-informed approaches to health and human service systems of care from other states demonstrate improvements in organizational culture, availability and uptake of evidence-based treatments, use of trauma informed practices, and improvements in staff and caregiver knowledge and attitudes.  This measure establishes a trauma-informed care task force within the Department of Health to implement a trauma-informed approach to health and human services in the State.

 

     Your Committee recognizes the testimony of the Department of Health, which recommended extending the amount of time allotted to the Department for submission of its report to the Legislature.  Your Committee also recognizes the testimony of the Department of Agriculture, who requested removal from the task force due to a lack of subject matter expertise.  Your Committee finds that other members of the task force may also be removed for similar reasons and to facilitate more efficient operations of the task force.

 

     As such, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requiring the Department of Health to submit its report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2024, rather than 2023;

 

     (2)  Extending the task force's sunset date from July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024;

 

     (3)  Removing from the task force, the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations, Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mayors of the Counties, and consumer advocates;

 

     (4)  Adding to the task force the Director of Public Safety and a member of the law enforcement community;

 

     (5)  Making it effective upon its approval; and

 

     (6)  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 Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1322, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1322, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair