House Standing Committee on Human Services & Homelessness

Good morning. We are convening the committee on human services and homelessness. It is 04/01/2026, 10AM in Conference Room 329. I am vice chair Olds. I will be heading the hearing today. We will be convening for the intent of hearing resolutions, and we will be hearing House Resolutions with corresponding house Concurrent Resolutions in tandem.

With that, we're right into it. Starting with house Concurrent Resolutions eight, House Resolution seven, urging counties to act on any building permit applications for modification of residence that is prescribed by a licensed health care provider and found by the county to be central for the safety and health of older adults or persons with disabilities within 45 day receipt of complete application. In testimony for today, first up, we have Shipta. I don't see doctor Jack yet. Maybe in a second.

Okay. We'll I did support. In support in person, and we don't have anybody else listed to testify. With that, would anybody else like to testify?

Did you wanna mention the other people that submitted that didn't have the testimony?

Sure. So we'll go ahead and roll down this. So we also have the Hawaii Disability Rights Center in support, the Liberty Dialysis Kidney Care in support, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition in support, Hina Mauka in support, and two individuals in support. Now we'll open the floor for anybody else who wish to testify on h c r eight hour seven. If not, members, any questions?

There's no one to ask questions of. Okay.

We should be testifying ourselves. We like that. We're not.

We'll move on. Okay. Moving on to hcr 32, hr 32 requesting the governor's senior adviser for mental health and the justice system to formulate a plan to increase access to the Hawaii State Hospital for mentally ill criminal defendants. K. First up, we have Michael Champion in person in support.

Oh, in comments. Excuse me.

In comments.

Good morning, chair, vice chair, members of the committee. I'm Michael Champion, senior adviser of mental health and justice system, and will stand, submitted written testimony with comments and be available for questions. Thank you very much. Thank you.

K. Next up, we have the State Department of Health in person with comments.

Good morning, chair vice chair. My name is Courtney Monti with department of health and administration. We provided comments related to this resolution. Stand on the comments and the bell for questions.

Thank you. Thank you. K. Next up, we have the Hawaii Disability Cent Rights Center, Louis Gertrzyk, on Zoom. Not present, vice chair, not present.

Okay. We also have, the Office of Public Defender in support. Would anybody else like to testify this these resolutions? Members, any questions?

I I do. I do. Thank you so much for being here with Department of Health, please. I was just hoping that for the body, you could talk about some of the work you're doing to address the concerns that recognizes the resolution.

Okay. So so right as as it applies to Hawaii State Hospital, we all know that the census there is high and it's beyond its, the licensed beds. And so, there we're making a concerted effort to really look at the driving factors for admissions as well as looking at our processes on discharges. They've they've really improved in they're really trying to to discharge folks, and yet the census remains high, and that's a factor of the admissions.

So really trying to look at ways we can utilize I know, there was some reference to the jail diversion program.

I know the number that was noted there was low and that was in the beginnings of the program in 2023 or 2024. Since then, I believe we've had about, I wanna say, 40 to 50, I believe, participants in the program. There have been challenges with that program. You know, certainly, we'd like that number to be higher. It it requires a lot of coordination with different agencies.

And so we have a regular standing group of participants from judiciary, public defender, prosecutor, DOH, you know, and we're all really trying to work together to have a coordinated effort to utilize the jail diversion program. We're also looking at other ways to be more impactful to the community. So, you know, we kinda referenced that there in terms of the civil pathway. We don't want folks to have to commit a crime to be able to get treatment at the state hospital.

We wanna be able to provide treatment at an earlier stage.

And I know in the recent past that's been difficult just because of the high census. We are reaching out primarily to Queens and Castle because they're the ones who have psychiatric beds, inpatient beds, and trying to work together with them to identify what types of patients, you know, we could help to take into the state hospital.

Keeping in mind, though, that, you know, on the forensic side, we are obligated to take those patients, and so we have to be very careful about overextending ourselves because there's only so much physical space that's usable for patient care. So those are some of the things that we are working on for this.

Thank you. Thanks for sharing that with us. Thanks, chair.

I guess I have a a follow-up question. Would this potentially you're using the word census. Would this potentially increase hospital census in terms of population? The

trying to admit civil commits meaning from the community hospitals. Yes. That's why I'm saying, you know, we need to be very cautious and selective about what types of patients we can take because we don't wanna overextend ourselves, right, because we we can't refuse the forensic patients. So yeah.

But you're also putting patients into doctor's offices currently. Right? So we had to worry about capacity.

Yeah. Right. So that's why we're not but it's it's very selective. Yeah. Thank you.

Any other members questions?

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair. Okay. So we'll move along to our next resolution. HCR 79, HR 73. Requesting the planning department of each county to establish kupuna friendly building permit requirements for parking accessibility and private business operating hours.

Only person registered to testify is Dr. Jack. SHPDA is still not here yet in person, but in support. And that is all we have for this measure. Would anybody else like to testify on this measure? And we are having no questions on it.

So we will move right along to our next item, HCR 113, HR 105, requesting Department of Human Services to convene a task force to increase community care foster family accessibility for private pay individuals. And for this, we have, first up, Department of Health on Zoom with comments. Go ahead.

Good morning, Chair, Vice Chair, and Members of the Committee. My name is Paula Cerio. I am the Chief for the Office of Health Care Assurance for the Department of Health. The department stands on this testimony that we submitted, and I'm available for any questions if needed.

Thank you. That's all we have to testify, but we have the Department of Human Services offering comments. Aloha Independent Living Hawaii in support. Would anybody else care to testify on HCR 113, HR 105? Okay.

If not, Members, any questions? If not, we'll move right along onto our next. 116108, requesting the city, county of Honolulu, and state wide office of homelessness and housing solutions to develop coordinated place based strategic action plan to address behavioral health and homelessness response needs on the Wai'anae Coast. First up, we have the Department of Health in support.

Good morning, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee. Government health division administrator, part of Department of Health. Department of stands on its written testimony and support. Thank you.

Thank you. And that is all we have to testify. We also have the Department of Human Services in support. Aloha Independent Living Hawaii in support, and one individual in support. Would anybody else wish to testify on these resolutions?

Please, you come up, state your name and any organizational affiliation.

Yes. Thank you, Chair, Vice Chair, and Members of the Committee. Emma Brochowski here on behalf of Jin Yang with the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions. Apologies for our late testimony, but, we stand on our our testimony in support of this measure. Thank you.

Thank you. Would anybody else care to testify on these measures? If not, members, questions? If no questions, we will move right along. Our next items are HCR 123 HR 115 requesting the Department of Hawaiian Homelands and Statewide Office of Homelessness and Housing Solutions to develop important support and stabilization pathway for native Hawaiian beneficiaries experiencing homelessness or extremely low income.

First up, we have the Department of Hawaiian Homelands person in support. You're getting more and more empties. Okay. We also have that's all we had to testify in person. We also had the statewide office of homelessness and housing and supports.

Would you guys like to testify?

Chair, vice chair, and members of the committee, SOHHS will stand on our, written testimony in support of this measure.

Thank you. We also had a low independent living in support and two individuals in support. Would anybody else care to testify on HCR 123 HR 115? If not, members, any questions? K.

Moving right along. K. So next resolutions are hcr 133 hr 125 urging the department of the attorney general and the department of law enforcement to strengthen law enforcement capacity to combat human trafficking. We do not have any testimony for this these resolutions. Would any member like to testify on hcr 133 hr 125?

K. It's not. We're we're right along. So next up, we have HCR184, HR174, requesting the Legislative Reference Bureau in consultation with the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Department of Human Services, and University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization to conduct a feasibility study on establishing a guaranteed universal basic income program for working families in Hawaii.

We do not have anybody listening to testify in person or online, but we do have the legislative reference bureau offering comments and below Independent Living Hawaii in support.

Would any other members like to any other individuals like to testify on HCR 184 hr 174. K? And no questions. So we're moving on to our last measure on the agenda. HCR 20 requesting the auditor to assess the social and financial effects of mandating health insurance coverage for a brief cognitive assessments for individuals 50 years of age and older.

Okay. So first up, we have Shipta. Doctor Jack still not here, but in support. Next, we have Alzheimer's Association of Hawaii in support on Zoom. Coby, go ahead.

So aloha, chair Martin and vice chair Olds. Sorry. I can't turn my video on. I'm actually admitted in the hospital right now, but wanted to testify on this because it's very important. As we know, last year, we passed the bill that requires cognitive assessments for those 65 on Medicare.

There's still a big gap for those under that. There's no screening currently. We saw the auditors' comments, and, we're just asking that, hopefully, you can pass it along today so that we can try to work on some of these, items before it crosses over to the Senate. But I'll be around for any questions. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you so much. That is all we have to testify, but we also have testimony from the office of the auditor providing comments. Hawaii Disability Rights Center in support, low independent living Hawaii in support, and two individuals in support. Would anybody else like to to testify on hcr 20?

If not, members comments, questions. Okay. That's it. We will roll right into decision making. Okay.

First up, HCR 8 HR7 urging the call to act on any building permit for modification of residence as prescribed by a licensed health care provider and founded by a county to be essential for the safety and health of an older adult or person with disabilities within 45 days to receive a complete application. I'd like to move this forward as it's members, questions, comments, concerns? If not, chair for the folks.

Representative Takayama.

Aye.

Okay. So chair, vice chair, vote aye. Seeing that representative Amato and representative Hartsfield are excused unless indicated otherwise, Representative Sue Keohok Kyoapu-lee .

Aye.

Representative Takayama.

Representative Takenuchi.

Aye.

Aye.

Chair, no recommendation is adopted.

Thank you. K. Moving on to HCR32, HR32, requesting the governor senior adviser for mental health and the justice system to formulate a plan to increase access to the hospital for certianment of the criminal defendants. Thank you, Department of Health, if you're not here anymore, for testifying and providing their insight. I'd like to move this forward.

No amendments needed as is. Members, any questions, comments, concerns? If not, Chair for the vote.

Seeing that vice chair vice chair vote aye, are there any members with reservations? Any members voting no? Seeing none, Chair, your recommendation is not.

Thank you, chair. I'm moving on to hcr 79, hr 73. Impressing the planning department of each county to establish kupuna friendly building permanent requirements for parking accessibility and private business operating hours. I'd like to move this forward with an HD one in with amendments needed for clarity, consistency, and style. Members, any questions, comments, concerns?

If not, chair for the vote.

Members is, voting on hcr 79, hr 73. Chair recommends passing with amendments. Are there any reservations? Are there any no votes? Seeing none, chair your recommendation is adopted.

Thank you, Chair. Moving on to HCR113 HR105 requesting the Department of Human Services to convene a task force to increase community care, foster family home accessibility for private pay individuals. Based off of the testimony that was provided, it sounds like It's working. It sounds like it sounds like this is already happening and that this isn't needed. And because of those reasons, I am going to defer.

Any questions, comments, concerns? If not, moving on to HCR 116 hR 108 requesting the city and county of Honolulu and state wide office of homelessness and housing solutions to develop a coordinated, place based strategic action plan to address behavior health and homelessness response needed on the Waianae Coast. I really love this resolution, and I'd like to say that as is. Members, any question, comments, or concerns? If not, chair for the vote.

Voting on HCR 116 and HR 108. Chair recommends passing as is. Are there any reservations? Any noes? Seeing none, chair, your recommendation is adopted.

Thank you, chair. Moving forward with HCR 123 HR 115 requesting department of land homelands and statewide office of Homelessness and Housing Solutions to develop coordinated support and stipulation issue pathway for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries experiencing homelessness or extremely low income. Again, another resolution I really love. I'd like to move this forward as is. Members, any questions, comments, concerns?

If not, Chair for the vote.

I'm voting on hcr 123 hr 115. Chair recommends passing as is, and it's playing favorites with its commentary on these resolutions. Is there anyone voting with

reservations? Any notes? Seeing none, chair, your recommendation is adopted. Thank you, chair.

Moving forward with HCR 133 HR 125 Virginia Department of the Attorney General and Department of Law Enforcement to strengthen law enforcement capacity and combat human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children by strengthening statewide enforcement initiatives generating a plan to expand specialized investigative personnel. I will not provide any extra commentary, but I would like to do this for with HD one for clarity, consistency, and style. Members, any questions, comments, and concerns?

Comments? I like this one.

Thank you, Henry, to your help, and you're biased. If if that is all, chair for the

vote. Okay. Voting on HCR 11133 and HR 125, noting the presence of representative Armato. Members, are there any reservations? Are there any no votes?

Seeing none, chair, your recommendation is adopted.

Thank you, Chair. Moving forward to HCR184, HR174, requesting the National Science Bureau in consultation with the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Department of Human Services, and economic research organization to conduct a feasibility study on establishing a guaranteed universal basic income program for working families in Hawaii. I really appreciate the intent of this resolution, but due to time constraints and the testimony by the LRB asking for UHERO to take the lead on top of this, I'm gonna recommend that we defer these resolutions.

We do not have time, and you girl wasn't here to testify, and we cannot delay decision making for this, so I will defer. Members, any questions, comments, or concerns?

Sure. But thank you for your deferral. I think this resolution was bad policy, so thank you for deferring it. Yeah. Thank you.

Any other members? If not, we'll move on to our last item on the agenda, htier 20. I'm requesting the auditor to assess the social and financial effects of mandating health insurance coverage for brief cognitive assessments for individuals 15 years of age and older. I'd like to move this out as is. Members, any questions, comments, concerns?

If none Actually, please share a quick brief comment. I think this is really great. My only concern is we don't wanna do anything that jeopardizes our state's prepaid health insurance. So thank you.

Thank you. Any other members? If not, chair for the vote.

Voting on HCR 20. Chair recommends passing unamended. Are there any reservations? Reservations. Reservation for Rep.

Any no's? Seeing none, Chair your recommendation is up.

You are adjourned.