STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1297

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   S.B. No. 979

      S.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 979, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SUICIDE PREVENTION,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to preserve and protect the lives of children and young adults by establishing a youth suicide early intervention and prevention program for Hawaii.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Superintendent of Education, the Hawaii Psychological Association, the Hawaii Suicide Prevention Steering Committee and Task Force, and two concerned citizens.

 

     Your Committees find that someone commits suicide in Hawaii every three days for an average annual total of one hundred twenty-eight.  Suicide claims the lives of more children and young adults than cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, and chronic lung disease combined.  Suicide exacts a horrific toll on surviving family members and the larger community.

 

     Your Committees also find that the costs of suicide are not limited to those associated with completed suicides.  Each year in Hawaii, eight hundred seventy people are hospitalized in connection with attempted suicide at a direct cost to the community of $12,300,000.  Those numbers may grow, with Hawaii having the highest percentage of youth in the nation who report having made a plan to commit suicide.

 

     Your Committees further find that persons most likely to kill themselves have preexisting mental health or substance abuse problems or have recently suffered stressful events in their lives.  Early intervention and prevention programs can identify people at risk and help provide them with the coping skills necessary to deal with these issues.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 979, S.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing,

 

 

____________________________

MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Chair

 

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair