Senate Standing Committee on Health and Human Services

Good afternoon. Mahalo for joining us for today's HHS hearing. We are convened in Room 225. I would like to introduce my only other Member, Senator Fevella, present. Okay. This meeting is being streamed live on YouTube. In the unlikely event that we must abruptly end this hearing due to technical difficulties, the Committee will reconvene to discuss any outstanding business.

I don't know if we can maybe later on today. Okay. Because tomorrow is the lateral deadline. To facilitate this hearing in a timely manner, we'll be enforcing a one-minute limit on testimony. I will be reading a list of individuals who submitted written testimony for each measure.

We apologize that the closed captioning does not accurately transcribe the names. If you're interested in reviewing the written testimony, please go to the legislator's website. You'll find a link on the status page for the measure. We appreciate your understanding and remind you that the Committee does have your testimony that we reviewed.

So I encourage you to use your time to either add additional comments or you can stand on your written testimony. First up, SB3025 relating to medical debt. First up, we have State Procurement Office providing comments. Tia Hartsock, Office of Wellness and Resilience, in support.

Yeah, just standing on our testimony. Thanks, Chair.

Thank you very much. Paige Choy, Healthcare Association of Hawaii in support. Paige, are you present?

I am. Thank you, Chair. We'll stand on our testimony in support. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Next we have Shelby Pikachu Billionaire, Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands and the Hana Unity Party support. Shelby Pikachu, are you present on Zoom?

Not present, Chair.

Okay. Next we have JC McCullinick, Queens Health Systems, in support. Cynthia Au, American Cancer Society, Cancer Action Network, in support. Matt Prellberg Holomua Collaborative in support.

Aloha Chair, Holomua Collaborative in support.

Okay. Hi, Matt. Okay. Laura Jennings in support. Nicholas Levins, Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction, in support. Our working testimony in support. Thank you. Aloha Care. Mike Wynn in support. Thomas Lee, Hawaii Data Collaborative, in support. Devin Thomas, Hawaii Appleseed center for Law and Economic justice, in support. Anybody else wishing testifying? SB3025 Member. Any questions? Nope.

Moving on then. Next we have SB3199 relating to mental health. This is establishes the Mental Health Emerging Therapies Task Force. First up, we have Office of Wellness and Resilience and Support.

Yes. Aloha. Standing in strong support.

Thank you very much. Hawaii State Department of Health in support. Nope. Okay. Hawaii State Council on Mental Health and Support, Clarity Project. Ashley Lucans and support. Ashley, are you present on Zoom?

Not present, Chair.

We'll stand on our testimony and strong support.

Thank you very much. Shelby Pikachu, billionaire, Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands and the Honey Unity Party in support. Shelby, are you present on zoom?

Still not present, Chair.

Okay. We also have Pimanu Kakley, Hawaii Psychiatric Medical association providing comments. Dr. Elizabeth Ignacio, Hawaii Medical association, providing comments. Chelsea Rohr, Mind Wave Medicine and support. Kendall Crumb, are you present? Okay, you have one minute. Oh, and then Shelby, you're next.

Okay. Aloha chair, Vice Chair and Committee Members. My name is Kendall Crumb from Honolulu County testifying in strong support of SB3199. As a combat veteran, spouse and future LCSW, I've witnessed firsthand how breakthrough therapies help those with PC PTSD, including my own. The research is clear. Over 90% of mental health clients have trauma histories.

40 to 60% don't respond adequately to current FDA approved PTSD medications. And veterans face higher PTSD rates than civilians. MDMA assisted therapy shows long term PTSD symptom reduction lasting years. Psilocybin demonstrates efficacy for treatment resistant depression, anxiety and substance use directly counteracting the impaired fear extinction central to PTSD. Sorry.

Currently, Hawaii residents seeking these evidence based treatments and practitioner training must go underground or out of state, creating inequitable barriers and diverting resources from our economy. People will access these medicines regardless of legal status. We're simply criminalizing what could be legitimate regulated treatment. Hawaii has already.

Thank you very much. Okay. We don't have anybody really. Not many people in opposition. So you've got plenty of people in support. So. Corey Westbury in support. Corey Westbury.

Yes.

Here.

Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and Members of the Committee. My name is Corey Westbury and I live on Maui. I'm in quite strong support of SB3199 establishing this mental Health Emerging Therapies Task Force.

I previously served as a training and education coordinator for the MAPS MDMA Assisted Therapy for PTSD Training Program which supported licensed clinicians in regulated research settings. That experience showed me that the level of training, ethics and infrastructure required to implement those therapies and their safety.

I also work in community education and integration support around trauma and end of life care in Hawaii. And from both perspectives, this bill is a very responsible step. It does not rush access. It prepares our state through workforce readiness, research development and patient safety. And I respectfully urge your support. Mahalo.

Thank you very much. Edith Garcia in support. I see Sho Oak. Come on up.

Aloha. My name is Edith Garcia. I travel here from Mountain View, Hawaii to testify in support of SB3199. I'm a veteran, a patient advocate, and the co-founder of the Big Island Veteran Club in Hilo. UH Hilo. Sb3199 is not just a bill to legalize psychedelic therapies.

Rather, it responsibly prepares the state of Hawaii for integration of emerging mental health treatments. This preparation is necessary and to be honest, overdue. I personally had to leave the United States to receive these mental health treatments because it was not accessible here. I was fortunate enough to be able to travel both physically and financially.

Many veterans in Hawaii cannot. In our state, geography itself has become a healthcare barrier. Our veterans were trusted with extraordinary responsibility in the service of this country. They deserve responsible access to healing as well. I respectfully ask for you to support SB3199. Mahalo.

Thank you very much. I see Zoe Wells on Zoom. Please proceed. You have one minute.

Aloha. My name is Zoe Wells. I'm here to testify in support of SB1 3199. I feel like this, these different psilocilin in specific has been a huge part of my own mental health recovery from addiction and depression as it does suppress the default mode network in the brain and that helps with PTSD symptoms in people.

And it's all very easily found and clinically proven with data. And there's a lot of other states in the country that are a bit further along in this process.

And I think it would be really helpful for people in Hawaii to have access, especially with our current homeless population and mental health people that are struggling with mental health issues. So thank you so much for hearing me.

Thank you very much. Vanessa Torres, are you present?

Yes.

You have one minute.

Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Members of the Committee. My name is Vanessa Torres. I flew in from Pahoa. I serve as public relations officer for American Legion Post 3. I'm a Marine Corps veteran of 13 years serving in OIF and a wife of 21 years to a retired Marine and a mother to two young adults.

I was diagnosed with complex PTSD and major depressive disorder as a result of trauma I endured. I hold a bachelor's degree in psychology and an MBA and speak with full understanding of the complexity and weight of the trauma I carry. I lost two friends to that weight. My family nearly lost me.

For a decade, I struggled with PTSD symptoms and treatment. Resistant depression, pursuing traditional therapies, all failed. I followed a research on psilocybin with hope and met someone who helped me pursue treatment in a controlled, safe environment. But I had to fly to a state where psilocybin is legally regulated. The result was not temporary relief.

It was joyful restoration. I regained clarity, purpose, and the ability to function and engage in life again. This bill is about safe, regulated access. For those who have run out of options like I did, I urge you to support SB3199. Mahalo for your time.

Okay, next we have Gerald Bush in opposition. Gerald Bush, are you present on Zoom?

Not present, Chair.

Okay, next we have Vicki Farmer in support.

Vicki Farmer, Aloha Chair, Members of the Committee, my name is Vicki Farmer. I flew from Kona to be here today. I am a veteran spouse, and My husband served 22 years and completed 10 combat deployments. Complex PTSD, traumatic brain injury, countless physical injuries. He left the VA with 13 medications and more than a decade of traditional treatments.

Nothing helped. He survived the war abroad, but almost lost the war at home. This is a story of a veteran and a spouse who refused to give up. And we are not alone. There are many of us. We were fortunate. We found something that not only worked, it gave him his life back.

Something that Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins research is proving over and over and over again. It's undeniable. These medicines work, and we are living proof. It's time. The state of Hawaii prepares for rescheduling to make these medicines available to the most vulnerable, high risk populations. Veterans, first responders, their families. Really anyone suffering where traditional treatments fall short.

Please pass SB3199 in honor of those who didn't make it home and for those still fighting to stay. Mahalo. Mahalo. Mahalo. Thank you very much.

Next, we have Josh Seiss in support. Josh, are you present on Zoom? Please proceed.

You have one minute. Aloha. My name is Josh Seiss. And I'm calling from Hawaiian Acres on the Big Island. I am a Navy veteran and I have my bachelor's in psychology from UH Hilo, and I serve on the Mayor's Veterans Advisory Board. I work closely with veterans struggling with PTSD, depression, and isolation.

I am also currently enrolled in the Synthesis Institute Psychedelic Facilitator Training Program, where part of our studying is safety, ethics and proper screening. I 100% support this bill. Most people think psychedelics are experienced, but what significance is the science? Research shows they can temporarily increase neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to form new connections.

Trauma can make the brain rigid like Harvard lava. Psychedelics in therapeutic settings can create a window of flexibility, allowing new patterns and healing responses to form beyond the Science. They foster connection to self, to community and to nature. Speaking personally after years of struggling.

Thank you so much, Josh. We do have your written testimony. Okay, next we have Michael Miller, Milky McKim in support. Christina Rodriguez, are you present on Zoom? Christina? Yes, I am. Okay, please proceed. You also have one minute.

My name is Christina Rodriguez. I'm a registered nurse specializing in psychedelic assisted therapy and education, living here on Maui. In strong support of this measure. I had the honor of serving on Hawaii Psilocybin Bill Task Force two years ago, and I'm currently on the board of advisors for the Clarity Project.

I'm trained in the clinical Western medical model and modern psychedelic therapy and research, including being maps, MDMA facilitator trained. I especially have been trained in traditional indigenous medicine cosmologies to work with psychedelic plant medicines.

And I've developed curriculum and currently teach curriculum in the use of plant medicines from the historical and ritualistic and ceremonial perspective in the state of Oregon as well as UPenn. Are you able to turn on your video? Yes, ma'. Am. Please, yes, proceed.

The medicines in question for research are considered emerging in breakthrough that these medicines have been used for millennia. And I personally am prepared to help train and support Clinicians and patients here in Hawaii if this measure is passed. Thank you very much. Please support this bill. Thank you.

Thank you. We have Robert Farmer in support. Robert, are you present? Okay, I see also on the audience. Oh, Robert.

They won't turn on my video, ma'. Am.

Okay. No, I see you on your videos now. Okay, thank you very much.

Good afternoon. My name is Bobby Farmer. I'm a resident of the island of Hawaii. I served 22 years in the United States army, including 14 years in Special Forces on an A team with 10 combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa. I was wounded in combat for over two decades. I was trained to be a weapon.

Then I was sent home and told to find peace. But after seeing the worst that humanity can do to itself, that doesn't just turn off the war, doesn't stay overseas. It follows you home. I sought help with our Western mental health system and it failed. I did everything I was supposed to.

Nothing seemed to fucking to relieve the pain. It wasn't until I traveled to Mexico through a nonprofit serving veterans and received ibogaine treatment that I experienced real healing, clarity, peace and hope from trained professionals like we're trying to do today with SB3199.

Please support this bill so veterans like me don't have to leave our home of Hawaii to find healing. Thank you. Very much for your time.

Thank you very much. I also see on the audience Pikachu Shelby. Pikachu, billionaire. Come on up. I made it. Yep. You're not in the.

I came from Zoom too, so I came from the telescreen here. We'll keep it 60 seconds. Let's keep it short. I know we got a fast time so we can go through legitimate real quick. So, yes, I approve this because the psychological. Psychological stuff. Oh, sorry. Pikachu Shelby Billionaire, king of the Hawaiian Islands.

So these people are kind of crazy because we're going to do mental health. If you put me in front of the therapist, I guarantee that guy gonna need more therapy than me as soon as I talk about the Epstein files, Donald Trump, the pedophiles, everything with no economy, Lex Wester, Victoria Sikh, all the connections.

And what the Big Island commissioners told me is that they're not going to help us fight human trafficking and all these things. So we definitely got to pass this bill because the Big island commissioners told me they're not going to help us. But Today's also at 2 o', clock, our honor police commissioners meeting.

And they got the Epstein files and the Maui and Kauai because I have to cover my call. I don't trust the system. I don't trust at Pam Bunny. So when you need mental health, I'm an Air Force veteran too. I'm glad we got vets. So please pass this bill with technical amendments for clarity and consistency.

Love you. Aloha. 45 seconds. Okay. You did good. Thank you very much. Okay. We also have 30 other individuals all in support and for those. And we have. Excuse me. Durazo Hill, Hawaii Radiant Health. Are you present, Durazo Hill, not present.

On Zoom, Chair.

In support. Vets Veterans Exploring Treatment Solution. Logan Davidson in support. Are you present, Logan? Yes, sir. Please proceed.

Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair and Members of the Committee. My name is Logan Davidson and I'm here on behalf of Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions to support SB3199. VETS is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to end the disproportionate incidence of suicide among American veterans.

Clearly, current mental health treatment options available to our veterans through VA healthcare facilities have been far from universally effective. Vets has supported more than 1,000 U.S. special Operations forces, veterans and their spouses to access psychedelic assisted therapy treatment abroad.

Paired with preparation and integration coaching, our veterans and their families need access to alternative therapies that address the complexity of the challenges they face following service to our nation as demonstrated by ongoing medical and scientific research.

Psychedelic therapies are rapidly emerging as an effective tool in treating PTSD, traumatic brain injury, substance use disorder and other conditions that fuel the disproportionate rates of suicide among the veteran population. This critical legislation is an important step toward addressing the alarming mental health crisis affecting our nation's veterans and ensuring they have access to innovative evidence based treatments.

Several states have made significant process in advancing psychedelic assisted therapies. By enacting SB3199, Hawaii ensures it is prepared for the future of psychedelic medicine. We would urge you to advance SB3199 and thank you to the legislators and people of Hawaii for allowing me to speak.

Thank you very much. Next we have Nikos Leverins, Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction in support.

Aloha Madam Chair, Senator Favela and Members Nicole Slevins with Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center and Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii in strong support of this bill.

HDRC Executive Director and I served on the Breakthrough Therapies Task Force with the Office of Wellness and Resilience to explore ways to improve the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder in Hawaii.

Both of our organizations humbly ask that more people with lived expertise be included in this task force and less representation of government departments who are disinclined to support expanded access to pharmacotherapies that are currently misclassified under the Controlled Substances Act. Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony.

Thank you very much. Next we have Jesse McLaughlin for reason for hope and support. Lt. Gen. Martin Steele, veteran mental health leadership in support. Anybody else wishing testifying? Sb3199. I see Hawaiian Hill or Durazo Hills, Please proceed. Durazo, are you here for 3199? Okay, go ahead.

Hi, my name is Dr. Durazo Hill.

I'm an emergency medicine physician on the Big island of Hawaii and I've been participating in researching a different psychedelic therapies and the ways that they've been implemented across the country and in different parts of the world and literally have seen people come into the emergency Department suicidal and have their affect and demeanor change because of the one thing that is legal, which is ketamine assisted therapy.

But I know the benefits of having more than one tool for all the different types of ways that people can and receive treatment. To go into the hospital and think that we could just use one thing would be. Would lose sight of all the different things that we could use.

And I look forward to working with this Committee to be able to improve psychedelic access here in Hawaii. Thank You.

Thank you very much. And I see. Lieutenant General. Yes, Steel. Please proceed.

Thank you very much. Madam Chair. My name is Martin Steele and I'm honored to testify in strong support of SB3199. I'm a retired Lieutenant General in the Marine Corps and served nearly 35 years rising from private to three star General and had the privilege of serving in Honolulu at U.S. Pacific Command.

Also, since retiring, I've dedicated my career to addressing the veteran mental health and suicide crisis and testified before the US Congress three times on suicide prevention. In granting breakthrough therapies by the FDA this opportunity for Hawaii to be able to take it to another level, which require trained clinicians, regulatory alignment, research partnerships and thoughtful implementation.

SB3199 establishes this task force to ensure Hawaii is ready, ready to integrate these therapies safely, ethically and responsibly. And ensuring that when the new tools become available to combat suicide crisis, Hawaii is prepared to act. I respectfully urge your support for SB3199. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Next. I see Lynette Averil. Are you present for 3199? Yes. Here, chair. Identify yourself and your position. Please proceed.

Thank you. I'm Dr. Lynette Averill. I am a clinical psychologist, neuroscientist and clinical trial specialist working with PTSD, depression and suicidality. I serve as a Chief Science Officer for Reason for Hope and the Veterans Mental Health Leadership Coalition and am in strong support of this bill.

I also speak as the daughter of a U.S. marine who died by suicide after years of struggling with ineffective treatment. And I very much understand both the science and the desperation that families are feeling. As a clinician, I see patients every day who have exhausted every possible option.

As a researcher leading one of the country's first state funded studies, I see the effects of these medicines, that they are rapid, durable and very robust. I also know so many families who are desperate for an alternative intervention. SB3199 is not about rushing access. It is about preparing responsibly.

Hawaii has time now to evaluate where these will fall within existing systems and where they don't. What infrastructure needs to be built, what training needs to happen.

Thank you. Thank you very much. Next, we have Megan Vaughn. Are you here for 3199? Yes, I am. Okay. Please identify yourself in your position.

All right. Thank you very much for this opportunity. My name is Megan Vaughn. I am a certified brain injury specialist with a doctorate in speech language pathology specializing in cognitive neuroscience. I previously treated hundreds of special Operations service Members at the VA with traumatic brain injury, PTSD, depression and substance use disorders. I witnessed extraordinary suffering.

Men who had led impossible missions yet sat across from me stripped of dignity, isolate and drowning in shame. Conventional treatments help, but often not enough.

When I later supported veterans participating in psychedelic assisted therapy through veterans exploring treatment solutions, I witnessed something I'd never seen in eight years at the va. Hardened warriors placing their hands over their hearts in self compassion instead of self hate. I saw reconnection children restored relationships and renewed purpose.

The neuroscience alliance is what I observed clinically increased neuroplasticity, improved emotional regulation and restored relational Our veterans not to leave the country. They sacrifice for to access effective care. SB3199 offers a responsible.

Thank you very much, Megan. Okay, anybody else wishing testify on SB3199 Members, any questions?

Oh, excuse me, Chair, we have one more.

Okay, hold on. Okay, could you identify whoever's online? Okay. Please proceed. Jesse McLaughlin.

Identify yourself.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Chair. Jesse McLaughlin. Reason for hope. I'll keep it brief. There are many states that have taken similar measures to set up task forces, working groups and studies to wrap their heads around this emerging therapies. FDA breakthrough therapies. They represent some of the most exciting work being done in psychiatry.

It's a good bill, it ought to pass and we stand in strong support.

Thank you very much. Anybody else on Zoom on SB3199? Okay, anybody else here for SB3199? Oh, someone else on Zoom?

Yeah, sorry, I. I got on late. This is Jim Dillon for the Department of Health. We stand on our testimony and are prepared to answer questions.

Thank you very much, Jim. Anybody else on Sb3199 Members, any questions? Yeah, just please proceed, Senator Fidela.

I forgot your name. I know you came for Academy. Which one? Come up. We're there in the middle. Me, please. I forgot your name. Forgive me.

Yeah, so when you was talking about earlier, I know you shared with me when you guys came down in forest for the gamine bill, can you kind of explain to the Committee on different types that you had to and the different areas that you had to go because you had to travel, Right?

And why you have to travel? Can you explain to them some of the stuff that you talked about? To me, it said the office stuff you have to try, if you don't mind.

No, I don't mind. Pretty much. I was struggling here in Hawaii. I've been dealing with depression, anxiety, TBI and just feeling devastated and not knowing where to go. I first started with ketamine. Ketamine was my introduction to legal psychedelics. That's how I was able to experience like the first relief. Unfortunately, ketamine is very expensive.

Just ketamine therapy legally. And also I needed more, which I went to Mexico to do ibogaine and I went to beyond and it was throughout their nonprofit, it was completely covered. And that was the first time that I was able to feel my brain the way that it used to be. And that was amazing for me.

Like the way that I'm able to continue my life after not even touching the depression and the anxiety. Just the way that my brain is able to function today is amazing. And there's the depression, the anxiety, the mood swings, and even like my physical body, because the body also keeps the the score.

I have so much pain and tension throughout my body and it comes from trauma. So it's not just one modality. Everyone is different and we might need different modalities. There's ibogaine, there's mdma, there's ketamine, there's psilocybin. There's different things that we can do.

And I just think that we deserve access to these modalities, especially if they're safe for us.

Thank you for sharing. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you.

Anybody else? Thank you. So I do want to thank all the veterans for their service. I know that you folks have gone through a lot and all of us here have gone to National Conference of State Legislators in on the mainland.

So we've also heard from the veterans there and they seem to have the ones who have suffered from PTSD has gone through a number of what Ms. Rodriguez had described and more. So we understand what you are going through and we understand why there is so much support.

And it seems to me it's pretty universal regarding veterans who are going through this kind of trauma that I haven't heard of any veteran who has gone through this kind of trauma who is against these emerging therapies. So thank you again for your service and thank you for coming all the way here especially. Thank you.

For all the people in my district, came all the way from the Big Island. Okay, moving on. Okay. Next up, it's SB 3324, regarding relating to Medicaid. First up, Director Yamane, Department of Human Services, in support.

Aloha, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee. Meredith Nichols for Department of Human...

Services. Happy to stand on our testimony in support.

Okay, thank you very much. Next we have Daintry Bartoldus, Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, in support.

We'll stand on testimony in support. Thank you.

Okay, thank you very much. Department of Health in support on Zoom. Department of Health. Are you Department of Health?

Thank you. Yep. Hi, Chair.

Identify yourself.

Yes, my name is Paula Cerio. I am the Chief for the Office of Healthcare Assurance. We stand on our testimony in strong support of this measure. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Kristine Pagano of DCAB in support. Executive Office of Aging, Caroline Cadirao, in support. Louis Erteschik, I see you present. Okay, standing on your... Hawaii Disability Rights Center in support. Lemmy Maluyo-Mabuti, Community Home Care Association of Hawaii, in support. Lemmy.

I stand in support.

You stand on your written testimony. Thank you very much. Shelby Pikachu Billionaire in support.

I would like to sit instead of stand on my written testimony. I sit in support.

Okay, thank you very much. Audrey Suga-Nakagawa, AARP, in support. Thank you very much. Marianne Cacatain of PH3 in support. Okay. Mary Ellayn Ortal, Providing Healthy Homecare for Hawaii, in support.

Dr. Elizabeth Ignacio, Hawaii Medical Association, in support. Shaina Calizo, CCFFH, PH3, in support. Imee Gallardo, PH3, in support. Carina Ocampo, United Community Healthcare Hawaii, in support. Aga Antoinio of Residential Care Administrators in support.

Maria Corazon Cariaga, Big Island Adult Foster Home Operator, in support. Rosalina Mendoza in support. Maribel Tan in support. Marian Nakahashi in support. Mike Nguyen, AlohaCare, in support. Filma Benigno in opposition. Okay. Maria Elaiza Salvador providing comments. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Seven other people in support.

Arlene Agliam providing comments. And three other people also in support. Anybody else wishing to testify on SB 3324? Members, any questions? Oh, come on up. Thank you very much. Anybody else wishing to testify on SB 3324? Members, any questions? Okay, seeing none. Moving on. SB 2563, relating to homelessness.

First up, we have Department of Attorney General providing comments.

Good afternoon, Chair and Vice Chair. Deputy Attorney General Erin Yamashiro. The Department provides comments on sections 3 and 5. You provided suggested revisions, and we recommend that if this Bill proceeds to adopt those recommendations. I'll be here for questions. Thank you.

Okay, thank you very much. Taryn Doe in support. Chuck Lee in support. Pabea providing comments. Shelby Pikachu. Okay, come on up. In support.

Yes, I'm in full support of this Bill. Pikachu Shelby Billionaire. So I got tagged on this by Garner Shimizu. I'm not a Republican in the party whatsoever, but we deal with homelessness all the time on the west side. We're number one, like Kalihi is number two. Waimano is number three.

Now we got gun violence, rape, human trafficking, drugs, all kind of stuff going down. And recently, the Lahilaki, if you guys saw it on the news with Lena, Spain, Suzuki, Salty Wahine. When I talked to the homeless state coordinator, the Asian dude, because we're both Asian, I said, what happened with the project?

Do you know where the homeless people went? Because I can guarantee you the Waianae shelter is full and they're maxed out. So where do they go when they swept them? The day I showed up with Chaina de La Cruz, the Aloha Ina Party. I'm in the Ohana Unity Party.

Chris Muraoka was already there with Anchor Chipotle in the pouring rain. Now, I would never have people do that kind of business in that pouring because of pneumonia and safety reasons, but I have no idea where the homeless people went. And we're gonna have Sabrina Grace following up after because she has back to the beginnings.

And we helped rescue from the other Hakeema Road incident, And she saved 23 people off the street. Now she's got over 100 people. So I want her to take the rest of the time so she can explain the points of this homeless Bill. Thank you very much.

Sounds good. Thank you very much. Okay. Kalihi Palama, Hawaiian Civic Club. Cedric Doherty in support, Waianae Coast Community Foundation in support. Patty, are you present? Okay. Well, she did provide written testimony. Sabrina Grace. Back to the Beginning and support Sabrina.

Yes.

Okay, Come on up.

Show them how it's done.

I don't even speak that fast.

Well, we have your written testimony. Okay.

Honorable chair and legislative Committee. My name is Sabrina Grace, and I serve as Director of Back To The Beginning. I am writing to you today to express my full and urgent support for of SB2563. Our organization operates on the front lines of Hawaii's housing crisis, and we see human face these statistics every day.

We do not just discuss the crisis. We live it alongside of our community in a vital partnership with local land owners. We currently manage three farm properties in Anapule that provide sanctuary for over 75 people. The mission of Back to Beginning is to provide the path back to dignity for those whom the traditional system has forgotten.

SB2563 aligns perfectly with our proven model of care. We are witnessing A terrifying increase in homelessness. Families and mothers who are desperate for safe, stable environment for their children can simply be children away from trauma in the streets. Furthermore, kupuna are now the fast growing homeless demographic in Hawaii.

We house many components on fixed incomes who have been priced out of market.

Thank you very much.

You got my test? Yes, I do.

Thank you very much. Okay, next we have 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10, 11, 12, 13, 15 other people all in support. Donna, Wait a second, we're not done yet. Donna P. Van Osno, are you present? Okay. Jun Yang, Statewide Office on Homelessness and housing solution providing comments. Jun Yang, are you present on Zoom?

I am.

Okay, please proceed.

Good afternoon, I think my name is Jun Yang. I'm the coordinator coordinator on homelessness and we stand on our written testimony.

Okay, thank you very much. Next we have Sabrina Grace. Well, again we, we've got you. Anybody else wishing testify on SB 2563? Okay, Angela, you have one minute.

Aloha, Angela Melody Young CARES in strong favor of this legislation to create sanctuaries. And perhaps the Committee can consider and proposed amendment which is to include faith based non profits. And so faith based non profits are already working with Kahales and it's already effective. Right. That's from the governor's office.

So when trying to create these initiatives, instead of just, just, you know, randomly creating initiatives, perhaps a more focused approach with working with what's already working can be more strategic. So faith based nonprofits are frequently legislated or contracted into partnerships to assist the state in providing social services.

With of course, an amendment with specificity to declare funding is not for religious worship, but it's for charitable acts in case there are people who are hesitant to work with the church, but the church deals with homeless people, makes so much progress, gives out snacks and St. Augustine works with crisis outreach, response, engagement.

Thank you very much.

They really need Jesus.

I know.

Thank you.

Come on. Okay, so anybody else wishing to testify on SB 2563? Okay, Members, any questions? Okay, moving on. Thank you. SB 2274 relating to medical cannabis. First up, we have Department of Health providing comments.

Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Members of the Committee. Andrew Goff, Office of Medical Cannabis. This Bill would remove DOH oversight of providers certifying patients for medical cannabis. Just to clarify, it's DOH that would do this, not DLE. We have the authority to implement the specific paragraph in question.

And also to clarify, these kind of health oversight activities are allowed under HIPAA. So this is not a HIPAA Issue. I know there has been concern in testimony about unfettered access to patient records. Just so we're clear, it's not our intention to take the records to question the doctors at all.

This is to make sure that the patients are receiving the care that they pay for. They pay $100. They should see a doctor and it shouldn't be a business. We have had situations where businesses were taking money or not. No doctor was seeing a patient and they weren't even processing the applications.

And this authority allows us to do that. We have put in offered amendments if. Thank you very much.

Next we have Shelby Pikachu Billionaire in support.

Pikachu Shelby Billionaire. So actually, I have to change mine because I know I support cannabis. But this one, it was overreach from DOH according to my perspective. So if someone had a condition, diabetes, whatever, doesn't matter. The cops don't have the jurisdiction. They'll figure out what your weaknesses are so they can take take you out.

Doesn't matter if you have cancer, diabetes, that's the same overreach. And it does break HIPAA laws. Just because someone has an injury or whatever their condition be, that doesn't give Michael Amber from Department of Law Enforcement the right to go check on the status and threaten the doctor. That sounds like mafioso tactics to me.

And that should be used on meth, Fentanyl, human trafficking drugs. So I think you should kill this Bill, defer it forever, kill it like everything else, like the dreams and just end it because this is too much government overreach like Big Brother. Thank you very much.

So the Bill actually removes that. So you're in support.

Okay then, yeah, whatever you said, you're right, Chair, I agree with you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Thank you. Okay, yeah. No overreach. Hawaii High Intensity Drug Trafficking area in opposition. Gary Yabuta, are you present?

Okay, next we have Clifton Otto Akamai Cannabis Consulting and support. Clifton Otto, are you present?

Yes. Aloha, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee, Dr. Clifton Otto in support. You have my written testimony that I'd like to briefly summarize. The Department should not have access to confidential medical records and it should not be doing its own investigations into healthcare provider activities.

This is why we have RICO complaints and the Hawaii medical and Nursing boards removing this language that was added last session makes sense. And this Bill also offers an opportunity to remove other offending sections in the statute, such as the two year certification, which is not standard of care and undermines medical supervision.

The written certification fee cap which discriminates against certifying providers, and the restriction that only PCPs can determine qualifying conditions when PCPs typically know nothing about cannabinoid medicine. Thank you for considering the amendment suggestions in my written testimony to address these issues and I'll be available for any questions.

Okay, thank you very much. Hawaii Alliance for Cannabis Reform in support. KB O'Keefe. Courtney Kassir in support.

Karen's online.

Okay. Please proceed. Karen.

Mahalo. I'm Karen O' Keefe with the Marijuana Policy Project and ajcr. We're grateful to you, Chair, for sponsoring this Bill. It would protect medical cannabis patients records from unwarranted intrusion. It repeals provision that allows the Department to review records without probable cause or even any allegation of wrongdoing.

The alarming language was added in conference Committee to HB302 last year, and that was a major factor in MPP and HACR moving from strong, strongly supporting the Bill, which has a lot of other good provisions, to opposing the final revised Bill.

Governor Green, who's of course MD, had included this Bill on his intent to veto list because of this provision, saying it was a grave violation of privacy. The DOHs suggested amendments would continue to allow this intrusion in privacy with no allegation of wrongdoing by allowing targeted compliance audits. We appreciate you for sponsoring this Bill. Mahalo.

Thank you very much. Next we have. Excuse me. Regina Gregory in opposition. Michael Paul in support. Nikos Leverenz Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii in support.

Aloha, Madam Chair, Vice Chair Members, Nikos Leverenz with Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii. In strong support of this Bill. As mentioned by our previous speaker, it corrects an unfortunate provision in law that was brought in conference last year. And we fundamentally, fundamentally believe that you know the reasons for people taking medical cannabis.

You can put it and you can make it explicit, but we shouldn't have. The government should not have the ability to intrude into that relationship. I agree that we could. We can prevent fraud in the case that Mr. Goff says. But this, this Bill corrects a real grave error in current law.

Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony.

Thank you very much. Next we have Theresa Armrester in opposition. Anybody else wishing testifying? SB 2274. Okay. Oh, Robert Bence, please proceed. You have one minute.

Aloha, Chair. I support this Bill. And echo.

Would you please identify yourself? Even though I know who you are.

Sorry about that, Robert Benz, 329 patient. I suffer from aphasia still. I had to relearn how to walk, talk and everything from Scratch. I was born with a birth defect and medical cannabis saved my life. Eight doctors saw this thing. It was the size of a golf ball. It didn't bleed.

They came to my farm and seen many doctors. My own experience, too. When I had the stroke, I didn't use the cannabis. And when I did use the cannabis, it fixed the problems of the stroke.

I obviously have no problems with sharing my personal medical information to the world, but I support this Bill and echo the comments of the Dr. And MPP. Mahalo.

Thank you very much. Robert Bence. Anybody else on Zoom willing to testify on SB 2274? Anybody present on SB2274? Members, any questions? I do. Andrew Goff, come on up. So these provisions were added in last minute by your boss to conference Committee.

And it was like O'Keefe said, because those four paragraphs were added in, it was put on the governor's intent to veto, which was a very good Bill until your boss added in those four provisions.

So since then, in my intent to persuade the Governor to not veto a very good Bill, your boss said that he would not oppose this correction to what was added in the last session. So are you now opposing what your boss had told me he would. He would not oppose.

Chair, we're offering comments and suggested amendments.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, I appreciate it. Didn't want you to go against what he. What is what he told me. Thank you very much. Anybody else wishing testify? Okay, moving on. Okay. SB 2408, relating to compassionate access to medical cannabis. First up, Attorney General providing comments.

Aloha. Alana Bryant, Deputy Attorney General. The Department notes its written comments in its testimony, and I'm available for any questions. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Department of Health providing comments.

Aloha Chair. We'll stand on our comments and offered amendments.

Thank you very much. Next we have Shelby Billionaire. Your turn. I got something to say about this? Of course. Okay. Come on up.

Pikachu. Shelby Billionaire. The fastes time I've seen the AG people talk so good. Four seconds or less, they're done. Hopefully they approve this. So people don't know about this Bill. SB 2408. Those in a Zoom land. This is for compassionate marijuana. Hell yeah.

I support this Bill because if you give them weed, they're going to chill. You know, what the heck out. Now you have to give them indica, not sativa. There's two types of herb. Because it's a herb. H E R B, S A T I V A it's sativa. That's a mental upper. So you want to do that.

If you're reading bills on Capitol Hill. If you're doing construction work and you want to go home in the car is in the couch. So when they come home after construction leave, you give them indica. You don't give them sativa because they won't shut the, you know what up.

Especially Portuguese like me going to keep on going and going and going to the Energizer Bunny right now. So if you do have compassion, like the Dalai Lama says, it will make the world a better place. And it's also saving money on the prison. I know there's a prison Bill for a compassionate release.

So if you give them Marijuana instead, they're going to be less fights, less arguments. You're going to get the money and they'll just go to bed. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. Okay, next we have Manoa botanicals in support. Carolyn lalusa, are you present? Okay, next we have Marijuana Policy Project. Karen O'Keefe, are you present on Zoom?

Hello. Hi, I'm Karen O'Keefe for the Marijuana Policy Project. MPP greatly appreciates the intent of this Bill, but we are concerned about its details as drafted. It forces health care facilities to ban conduct that they might now allow, such as the medical use of cannabis by non terminal patients in acute care hospitals.

We recommend replacing it entirely with language based on Mississippi and Minnesota's laws, which is my written testimony. These avoid the burdens of this Bill and protect patients' ability to use medical cannabis in these facilities.

I want to say also we are very alarmed that the House version of this Bill changed may to shall as recommended by the AG and DOH. Health facilities are already allowing medical cannabis. So this change would make the Bill worse than meaningless. It adds hurdles and restrictions without adding any new rights for patients.

If you make that change, we would prefer the Bill to be defeated than to make the may shell to may change. However, a better option would be just changing it to the Mississippi or Minnesota language. Mahalo.

Thank you very much. Next we have Paige Choy, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, in opposition. Paige, please proceed. Paige, you're in green. Okay.

I am in green. Yes. It took a second to turn on the video. Thank you, Chair, Vice Chair, Member of the Committee, Paige Choi with the Healthcare association of whole Hawaii. We are opposed to this measure. We understand the intent and, and we're sympathetic.

The long and short is that we cannot comply with the requirements to allow this use per federal standards, especially from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We also don't believe the safe harbors are strong enough. You Know any, any violation. It doesn't matter if you stop the allowance of medical cannabis.

If you violated the law, you can be dinged for that on a survey or have your reimbursement threatened. And we're just not comfortable, I think, with where the law is now. So thank you very much and I'll be available for questions.

Okay, thank you very much. Next we have Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition in opposition. Brian Baker Hinamalka in opposition. Hawaii alliance for Cannabis Reform providing comments. Colonel Keith. Okay, I already spoke it. Okay, thank you. Oh, I already spoke. Thank you. Yeah, I got you here twice. Okay. Robert Bence, please proceed on zoom.

Hello, Chair Robert Bence. Mahalo very much for everything you're doing. This is the most important Bill. If we really have a medical program protecting the most vulnerable.

And we were on a group with MPP and Aaron with the occr and it's really disappointing to have them have recommendation of Shall change to May because as we all know, May is worse than worthless. And I will use it at every hospital. It's life and death for me.

I noticed there was in the original Bill they describe in a definition of health care facilities disabled catastrophically. And they have a definition of that disabled. But in the patients it's terminally ill and over 65. I would beg that it as if very much Robert medication. Thank you or it be added.

Okay, next is we have Laverne Moore in opposition, Nikos Leverenz Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii in support.

Aloha, Madam Chair, Vice Chair, Members Nikos Leverenzs with the drug policy form of Hawaii in support of this Bill. This is one of those areas of cannabis law where the state unfortunately finds itself to the right of great state of Mississippi. We really need to reconsider why we continue to exist in this cannabis policy purgatory. Right now.

This Bill would allow terminally ill patients and qualifying patients over 65 years of age with chronic diseases to use medical cannabis and healthcare facilities. California has had its version of Ryan's Law on the books since 2022. It's a state with 40 million people in a $250 billion health care sector. They have made it work.

But we concur with Haker that we should follow other models that are more expansive than that of California. Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony.

Thank you very much. Anybody else wishing testifying SB2408 okay, Angela, you have one minute.

Angela Melody Young Cares wishing to comment. So this Bill is currently drafted, requires that the Administration is completed by the patients or the Caregivers and not facility staff or other responsible nurses.

And so my proposed amendment is that the Administration and the authorization of accessing the compassionate cannabis usage for those who are in their end stage of life, be that the Administration is performed by a team making the decision. So family members, team of nurses, the primary care physician and the mental health physician to advise.

Why do I propose this amendment? Because. Okay, so someone from our church who happened to be from Georgia, the state of the Peach, came to Hawaii on a boat cruise and they wanted to administer the medicine because he suddenly turned yellow and started to die because of end stage liver conditions. And the clinic was so busy.

Angela, we have. Yeah, we don't have enough time.

Oh, okay.

Okay. Anybody else wishing testifying sb2408 Members? Any questions? So I do. Paige Choy, are you still present on Zoom? Paige? Paige. So you are aware of the Executive order signed by President Trump in December, basically making Cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3 as expeditiously as possible for Department of Justice to do the administrative rules.

You are aware of that, right?

We are, we are aware of that.

Okay. And, and upon so upon the Department of Justice getting those administrative rules, cannabis then becomes schedule three, right? That's what the Executive order says.

I believe that, that is the goal of the Executive order. Yes.

Right. So in which case then health care facilities will not be under the gun from CMS because it's Schedule 3 now like any other Schedule 3 drug, right?

Yes. And I, and I won't get ahead of. I think I know where your questioning is going, but I won't get ahead of it.

Okay, so basically, so upon upon it becoming Schedule 3, then there should not be any federal impediment for health care facilities to then allow for such Administration of cannabis as medicine, correct?

Well, I think that we'd need to wait to see what the rules would say and then also what would be approved by the FDA, because there's also requirements about allowing FDA-approved drug use. Right. In hospitals.

So I think there is a lot of potential right for cannabis to be more widely used in inpatient settings if cannabis is rescheduled to schedule three. But I think we would need to get more guidance when it gets scheduled.

It's not if, when it gets scheduled because we do have an Executive order. Right. Okay, thank you. And the FDA does work. I mean the supremacy. Cause basically. Anyway, I'm not going to argue law with you, but anybody else switching Testify under for SB3245 Members? Any questions? Okay, moving on.

SB3244 relating to statewide Independent Living Council. I see Dane Chupartoldis providing comments for State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Thank you, Chair. Vice Chair Dane Chupartoldis, Executive Director for the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities. And we respectfully request that you guys defer this. What happened is we were working with SILC, the Statewide Independent Living Council. They submitted testimony, but apparently you don't have it.

We just talked to her, and we kind of got ahead of ourselves and their attach Agency kind of to Department of Human Services, Volk, Department of Vocational Rehab. And we missed some of the federal regulations within this Bill by changing the names. We did not know that it would hamper their duties.

So we're asking that be deferred so we could work on that and we could work with Department of Human Services as well. And we defer to their testimony for the details.

Okay, thank you very much. I'm got a note saying I should go back 3245. But we have 324. Okay, okay. Wait a second. I'm sorry. Let's finish this Bill. I went. I went too fast. Sorry. Let's go 3244. And then after 3244, I skipped the Bill. So I apologize. So 3244.

Director Yamane, Department of Human Services, providing comments.

Aloha, Chair. Vice Chair, Committee Members, I am Lea Dias, DVR Administrator, on behalf of Director Ryan Yamane. And we stand on our written testimony providing comments.

Thank you very much. Amanda Lowe, Statewide Independent Living Council, Hawaii, providing comments. Okay. Leilani Kailiawa in support. Anybody else on SB3244 Members? Any questions? Okay, seeing none. Moving on. Moving back to SB 3245 relating to SNAP. First up, we have Department of Human Services providing comments.

Good afternoon, Chair. Vice Chair Jeanette Hayes, SNAP office.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Next we have Daniela Spoto, Hawaii Appleseed, in support.

Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee. Daniela Spoto with Hawaii Appleseed. We support this bill, and we have a little bit of additional context to add to our written testimony. Last year, a version of this bill was heard by this committee.

And amidst all the discussions that have now been finalized around the cuts to SNAP, we agreed that or the committee agreed that this is not the year, that was not the year to put additional pressure on the department to extend access with using this waiver.

The department had testified at the time that they'll be implementing a new eligibility system, which I believe is scheduled still for later this year, that we'll be able to support what's proposed in this measurement. So. And then later on, the Legislature passed a joint resolution that requested that they actually move forward with this.

So with that in mind, we wanted to recommend that the committee might want to consider amending the bill's effective date, according to Department of Human Services testimony so that they will have time to put the eligibility system in place, and then hopefully they'll be able to actually do what the bill calls for. Thank you so much.

Thank you very much. Audrey Suga-Nakagawa for AARP in support. Thank you very much. Shelby Pikachu Billionaire in support.

Yes, Pikachu Shelby Billionaire back. So I do support this program. I'm not sure if the Senators, the people on Zoom, know how much people on SNAP actually get. For a single male like myself, you'd probably get about 433.

And if you're not disabled or something crazy, then you don't get the cash benefit. So it does help if you do get the cash benefit, but it's still only about 400. So let's say I'm homeless right now, as an example. I cannot get a place.

I will not qualify with my $400 a month, then the cash. And if I divvy up the $430 and I go to Food Land, that's like $100 every week. I'm not sure how you're gonna afford. If you got minors and kids, you're gonna get more money.

But as a single person, it's very hard to get off of the streets because that's not enough to save, to put the deposit down, rent, save, pay electricity, utilities, because most of the money is out in the first week. So thank you very much. Please pass the bill.

Okay, thank you very much. Next we have Nate Hix, Hawaii Public Health Institute, in support. Nate, are you present? I don't see him. Okay. Aloha United Way in support. Natalie Kong, Hawaii Academy of Family Physicians, in support. Mike Nguyen for AlohaCare in support. 3,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

Nine other individuals all in support of SB 3245. We have Kealoha Fox, City and County of Honolulu of Climate Change Sustainability, in support. Genevieve Mumma, Hawaii Hunger Action Network, in support. Genevieve, please come on up.

Aloha, Chair, Vice Chair, Members. My name is Genevieve Mumma, here on behalf of Hawaii Hunger Action Network. We are a coalition of more than 20 organizations with a mission to advocate for food security, anti-hunger policies. This bill, just want to talk a little bit specifically about how it will benefit kupuna.

Over one third of our SNAP households have kupuna age 60 or older. And one issue our network members report is that the frequent need to recertify every 12 months can actually result in families losing benefits even if they still qualify.

So the federal rules actually allow us to extend certification periods from 12 months for kupuna to 36 months, and we should be taking advantage of that. 25 other states are taking advantage of this program ESAP, and we believe it's time for Hawaii to follow suit. So mahalo for your time and mahalo for scheduling.

Okay, thank you very much. Anybody else wishing testify on SB 3245?

Aloha. Angela Melody Young testifying on behalf of CARES in strong support of this bill. So the legislation significantly eases the SNAP program reapplication process for kupunas and individuals with disabilities.

So this helps with the reapplication so that it's less of a burden for those, let's say, who already have significant health disadvantages. For example, if they have a chronic degenerative disc and they have a physical health issue and a mental health issue because they now have anxiety and they have to manage their health care and then they have to go to the SNAP office.

And so going to the SNAP office could be too much for them. And so perhaps if something that could help and if the committee and the introducers could consider is that there could be more advice provided to help facilitate and navigate these procedures with experts who know about disabilities and those.

Thank you very much.

Okay, anybody else wishing testifying? SB 3245 Members, any questions? Moving on, SB 2935 relating to General excise tax exemptions. First up, Department of Taxation providing comments. ... Thank you very much. Shelby Pikachu, billionaire, in support Support. Thank you very much. Nate Hicks, Hawaii Public Health and Student support. Okay, next up, Hawaii Tax foundation of Hawaii providing comments.

Tom yamachika, are you present on zoom?

Not present, Chair.

Okay, moving on. Grassroots Institute of Hawaii. And support. Ted Kefalas. Okay. Lauren Zirbel, Hawaii Food Industry Association. And support. Lauren. Yes.

Thank you so much for hearing this Bill. We have been in support of this measure for over 30 years. At this point, as you're aware, Hawaii is one of only four states that fully taxes groceries.

Many studies show that it is incredibly regressive, as in that it hurts the lowest income people the most as they spend the largest percent of their income on groceries. There's a lot of data that we included in our testimony from USDA. So they actually have a spreadsheet that you can extract on at home food before taxes.

And if you take the calculation of 4% based on that, the estimate about how much this costs is about 180 million, which is a lot lower than previous estimates. So we're in strong support. And thank you very much for hearing the Bill.

Thank you very much. Next we have Mike Nguyen, Aloha Care and support. Mike Nguyen, are you present on zoom?

Not, present. Chair.

Okay. Daniel Spoto, Hawaii Apple Seed. And support. Okay, Consumer Healthcare Products Association. And support. Johnny Mae Perry in opposition. Nancy Moser in support. Lila Moore in support. Holomua Collaborative. Matt Prelberger, he left in support. Anybody else wishing testifying? 2935 Members. Any questions? Moving on. SB2951 relating to. Excuse me,

It's 2591.

2591. Thank you. SB2591 relating to noise. First up, we have Department of Health providing comments.

Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee, Matt Brown and Department of Health, Department. Health Services Division standing on our written comments.

Thank you. Louis Erteschik in support.

Thank you.

Thank you. Good. Good afternoon, Senator. So I'm here as a private citizen on this bill in my spare time. I'm the vice chair of the Waikiki Neighborhood Board, and I've been a Member for about 25 years.

I'm not speaking for the board, but I can tell you that several years ago we did pass a resolution calling for more or less what's in this bill. And I've been working with Senator Moriwaki on this issue for a long time, and basically nothing's really gotten done.

The city council had some bills, they didn't really take any action. The mayor's office has tried to come up with some solutions, but nothing's. Nothing's happened. So I think out of frustration they turned to the Legislature to ask the Legislature to step in and try to do something. I think you'll hear from some of our constituents.

I mean, they're getting woken up at 234 in the morning by garbage trucks. So it's pretty bad. So whatever the Legislature can do, I think would be very helpful. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Next we have Kathleen Dixon in support. Kathleen, are you present? Okay. Next we have Johnny Mae Perry in opposition. Denise Boisvert in support. 345678. Eight other people in support, Gregory Misakyan. Gregory, are you present on Zoom? Please proceed. In support.

Aloha, can you hear me?

Yes. Please proceed. You have one minute.

Thank you. Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and Members of the Committee. I'm here today as an individual, but I do serve as the President of the Kukua Council. Some of you know me from there. I serve as the Vice President of the Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans.

I'm also on the Good Government Caucus and I do serve on my condo association's board. And this issue has impacted me personally. So from the very first day that I moved to Hawaii, I can just remember being woken up. I think it was around 4 in the morning. That was usually the time.

4:30 to 5 in that range by the trash trucks. And it was a time when Covid was actually still ongoing and the island was shut down. So it was even more prevalent than noise. So I will just say this. It's a health issue. It impacts kupuna. It impacts our children.

If you read my testimony, you'll understand just from the little bit that I wrote, that it's a very serious issue. And I implore you to please move this forward. Pass it. And if there's further information needed regarding health issues.

Thank you very much. Anybody else? I'm sorry, we don't have time. SB 2591 Members, any questions? Okay, seeing none. Moving on. SB 3276 relating to homelessness. First up, Jun Yang in support. Jun, are you present?

Yes, Chair. Aloha Chair.

Okay, you have one minute testimony.

Thank you very much.

Okay, thank you. University of Hawaii providing comments. Okay. Shelby Pikachu, billionaire, in support.

Hello, Pikachu, Shelby, billionaire. I stand on support and support. Jun Yang and ...

Okay, thank you. Lila Mower in support. Ida Word, Los Banos, City and county Honolulu in support. Okay, anybody else wishing to testify on SB3276?

Angela Melody Young, testifying on behalf of CARES in strong support. So I'd just like to recommend, perhaps you could consider a work group with such a Large appropriation of dollars.

And so, for example, the county's office Crisis Outreach Response Engagement can really provide advice and to help navigate this program and to ensure collaboration between state and the county's offices.

Thank you very much.

Thank you so much. If it's too much to deal with just for the state.

Thank you very much. Anybody else wishing testifying SB 3276? Members, any questions? Okay, are we ready for the decision making? We have... Okay. First up, for SB 3025, relating to medical debt. Chair's recommendation is to pass with SPO's proposed amendments. Blank out the appropriation. Add defect date of December, January 30, 2050. Any comments, questions, concerns? Seeing none. Vice Chair for the vote.

Okay. Recommendation 3275 is to pass with amendments. Noting the absence of Senator Keohokalole. Are there any WRs or noes? All of us being present. Seeing none. Your recommendation has been adopted.

Chair, I'm sorry. What was the bill?

Medical debt.

Oh, no. What the bill number?

3025.

I thought you said 75.

I think I did. No, that was actually correct. Good call. I did call out the wrong one. So this, the vote sheets got mixed up. So let me go ahead and just make... 3025. And it has been adopted. Good catch there, Senator.

Pass with amendments.

All right. Okay.

Okay. Thank you very much. SB3129. 3199. It's a long day. 3199 relating to mental health. Chair's recommendation is to pass with amendments. We're going to remove Department of Health Online page on page 2, lines 20 and 16, and add in a defective date of December of January 30, 2050. Any comments, questions, concerns, Seeing none.

Vice chair for the vote.

Okay. 3199. Recommendation is the Senate draft one. There he is. Noting the presence of all the Members of the Committee on their. Any WRs or nos? Seeing none. Your recommendation has been adopted.

Okay. For 3324. Chair's recommendation is to defer this. Next is 2563 relating to homelessness. Chair's recommendation is to pass this with amendments. We're going to substitute the word woman with the phrase primary caregiver as requested by a number of testifiers. Add in a defective date of January 30, 2050.

Add in an implementation date of July 1, 2026 and request that the. And make this a pilot program. Well, it is a pilot program, but convert it into a session law instead of a Bill because it is a pilot Program. Okay, any comments, questions, concerns?

Yeah, Chair. Just the concern I have is that I see that it's 10 and under. Yeah. With with the population that we're talking about, we have special needs adult from maybe 18, maybe we can do it from 18 and under or special needs families to keep them together. Okay.

Because it's really a problem with our special needs adults that is homeless too to get them care.

So with the amendment of the age 10 to 18 for Senator Fevella with that other added amendment. Any other comments, questions, concerns Seeing none Vice chair for the vote.

All right. 2563 recommendation Senate draft one during the presence of all Members. Any WRNO's seeing none recommendation has been adopted.

Okay. So for SB 2274, this is to correct the added language that got added into last minute in conference. Chair's recommendation is to pass it as is Any comments, questions, concerns relating to medical cannabis? Seeing none Vice Chair for the vote.

Okay. Recommendation 2274 is as is noting the presence of all Members of the committees. Any WRs or nos seeing none recommendation has been adopted.

Okay. For SB2408 we're going to pass this with Attorney General's proposed amendments, HTACs and HACR's added patient definition and I think their proposed definition changes. So pass with amendments. Any comments, questions, concerns? Seeing none Vice Chair for the vote pass with amendments.

Okay. Recommendation 248 is the Senate draft one knowing the President's office, all Members, any WRs or no's seeing none recommendation has been adopted.

For SB 3245. Chair's recommendation is to pass it with amendments. Implementation of July 1, 2028 and a defect date of January 30, 2050 to continue on with discussion. Any comments, questions, concerns Seeing none Vice Chair for the vote.

Okay. Recommendation 3245 is Senate Draft 1 knowing the presence of Members. Any WRs or nos seeing none recommendation is adopted.

Okay. For 3244, Chair's recommendation is to defer that. Nobody seems to like it. So sorry about that. SB 2935. I'm going to note that the state of Hawaii has an excise tax. We do not have a sales tax. So because of that we have a 4%, which is a relatively low tax.

And as what the Tax Foundation noted, if we add in exemptions, that would mean increasing the tax on everyone else. So with that in mind, we are going to be passing this with amendments. We're not going to put in the SNAP groceries because we've already taken care of that by putting in a tax credit. Okay.

So that's what the legislators do in order to not fool around with that general excise tax amount of 4.0 whatever percent. We're also going to remove the diapers because we already have the earned income tax credit on that to take care of that.

We're also going to remove non-prescription drugs and medical supplies because that's what the HSN the tax deductions are for. Which leaves feminine products, which are the only ones that we haven't taken care of in other tax basis.

We're also going to put a defective date because it is very rare for us to pass a general excise tax exemption. But we want to let WAM know that this is one product requested by the community that hasn't been given any tax deduction or tax credit for.

So with that in mind, pass with amendments and a defective date of January 30, 2050. Any comments, questions, concerns? Seeing none. Vice Chair for the vote.

All right. The recommendation 2935 is the Senate Draft 1. Noting the presence of all Members. Any WRS or noes? Seeing none. Your recommendation has been adopted.

So for SB 2591 we've seen many iterations of this Bill relating to noise and it has always died because one we have all been woken up at four in the morning, okay.

And it has died because one there's a potential for increase in our refuge fees if we decided to change the time to a more high traffic time than at 4 in the morning.

And it also died because potentially the shopkeepers don't want their refuse out in the middle of the day when it would be more convenient I guess for people going to sleep. But we're going to be passing this with amendments for a two year pilot project.

We'll see whether or not there's going to be any increase in refuse fees. I suspect there will be. We're also going to limit it to Waikiki because they're the ones complaining a lot.

Can we do that?

I don't know, but we'll, we'll try it. They'll understand January 30, 2050 and the effective date of January 30, 2050 and technical non substantive amendments need for clarity and consistency. And I'm also going to note that there's already a problem with the Bill because it's a blank weight amount for refuse definition.

So another reason we're going to put it in for defective date because it still needs a lot of fixing. Any comments, questions, concerns, Seeing none Vice Chair for the Vote.

Okay. Recommendation on 2591 is an interesting Senate draft. One noting the presence of Members of all committees any WRs and Os seeing none, WR. oh WR. Okay, we got one. Let's see. Anybody else with a WR? No. Okay.

Yeah, we've all been woken up at 4 in the morning. Your guys aren't the only ones.

All right. Recommendation has been adopted.

Okay. SB 3276. Chair's recommendation is to blank out the appropriation. We're going to remove page one, line six, section three relating to... I mean basically the Department of Homelessness and Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solution is not in the business of providing medical respite. That is for Department of Health. They are in a... They're in the...

They are supposed to be providing homes. We are also going to add in a requirement that the SOHHS come up with a plan, starting with a point in time counts for 2026. And the plan is to reduce by 25% or higher the rate of homelessness in the state by January 1, 2028. And any funding request thereafter shall be based on this plan.

We're also going to add in a section of requiring that the position of coordinator or administrator of Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solution be subject to advise and consent of the Senate. Any comments, questions, or concerns? Seeing none. Vice Chair for the vote. I know that. Okay.

Okay. You really want to make this happen, don't you? Okay. Recommendation 3276 is a Senate Draft 1. Noting the presence of Members of all committees. Any WRs or noes? Seeing none. Recommendation has been adopted

And we are adjourned.

Calling for the decision making. SB 3275. Chair's recommendation is to pass with amendments. We are going to take out lines 6 through 9 and lines 12 through 21 on page 10. Page 11, remove lines 1 to 3 and 17 to 21.

Remove all of page 12. Remove all of page 13. And on page 14, substitute DCCA with OMCCR. And any other technical and non-substantive amendments needed for consistency and clarity. Any comments, questions, concerns? Pass with amendments.

Okay. Recommendation 3275, Senate Draft 1. Noting the presence of all Members. Are there any WRs or noes? Seeing none. The recommendation has been adopted.

And with that, we are adjourned.