STAND. COM. REP. 509

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 1186

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1186 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PSYCHIATRIC FACILITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to clarify that emergency psychiatric hospitalization shall be initiated only for mentally ill individuals and mentally ill individuals suffering from substance abuse, and not individuals who suffer from substance abuse but are not mentally ill.

The Department of Health and Hawaii Psychological Association submitted testimony in support of this bill. The Judiciary submitted comments on this bill.

Your Committee finds that currently, the law allows emergency psychiatric care to be initiated for individuals who are under the influence of controlled substances, but who are not mentally ill. These individuals do not need to be hospitalized in a licensed psychiatric facility. This bill will clarify that emergency psychiatric hospitalization is only appropriate for mentally ill individuals and not for those who are simply drug abusers.

 

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. 1186 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

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

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair