Bill > SB2679

This bill establishes and funds a one-year pilot project, running from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, to create a digital platform for youth mental health. The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division of the Department of Health will oversee the development of this platform, which will be publicly accessible and designed to help young people manage mental health challenges by offering county-specific resources, mental health education, self-care strategies, and coping mechanisms. The project also includes communication and marketing services to promote the platform and will exempt procurement for these services from certain state procurement laws (chapters 103D and 103F, Hawaii Revised Statutes) for the duration of the pilot. The division is required to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature by early 2027, and funds are appropriated from the state's general revenues for the project's implementation and administration. This initiative is a response to worsening youth mental health indicators, exacerbated by events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Maui wildfires, and aims to provide accessible, stigma-free, and cost-effective mental health support, thereby allowing the limited behavioral health workforce to focus on those with the most critical needs.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2679&year=2026