STAND. COM. REP. NO.  151-08

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2569

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2569 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to encourage shared efforts between primary care physicians and psychiatrists to help psychiatric patients receive more effective treatment by establishing a psychiatric health services pilot project to introduce an integrated behavioral model at the Bay Clinic, West Hawaii Community Health Center, and other federally qualified community health centers on the island of Hawaii to enable:

 

(1)  Psychiatrists to collaborate with primary care physicians; and

 

(2)  A mental health team to provide patients with necessary mental health care.

 

     The Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association, Psychiatric Access Collaboration, Hawaii Centers for Independent Living, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Bay Clinic, Inc., NAMI Hawaii, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Department of Health submitted comments.

 


     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $300,000;

 

(2)  Ensuring that this bill will not duplicate any projects created by H.B. No. 3146 if that bill becomes law; and

 

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes 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 H.B. No. 2569, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2569, 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