Hawaii Senate Bill SB787

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/17/25
• Refer: 1/23/25
• Report Pass: 2/11/26
• Refer: 2/11/26

Caption

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

Summary

SB787 appropriates state general funds to the Department of Health to establish and operate a free, statewide mental health “warm line.” The bill defines a warm line as a confidential, non-emergency telephone support service for people experiencing psychological distress who are not in immediate danger and do not need crisis intervention, 911, or emergency-room care. It distinguishes the service from Hawaiʻi CARES 988 and notes that the department previously created a separate warm line to support the Maui community after the 2023 wildfires. The bill directs the Department of Health to use the appropriation for equipment, training, and operating costs needed to make the service available statewide at no cost to users. It is framed as filling a gap in the state’s mental health system by providing peer-based or nonclinical support for callers who need someone to talk to but are not in crisis. The measure is set to take effect on December 31, 2050, which is a delayed effective date unusual for an appropriations bill.

Impact

If enacted, SB787 would create a new state-funded mental health support program within the Department of Health and add a dedicated appropriation in fiscal year 2026-2027 for startup and operating expenses. It would not amend existing mental health licensing or crisis-response statutes directly, but it would expand the state’s behavioral health service network by authorizing and funding a statewide warm line separate from the 988 crisis system. The bill would primarily affect the Department of Health, potential warm line operators, and residents seeking low-acuity mental health support.

Sentiment

The available legislative history suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the bill. It passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee unanimously, 5-0, with amendments, and was reported out for further consideration by Ways and Means. The bill’s findings and purpose section reflect a policy consensus that there is a service gap for non-emergency mental health support and that a statewide warm line would help address it.

Contention

The main practical issue appears to be funding and implementation rather than the concept of a warm line itself. Because the bill contains an unspecified appropriation amount, the size of the funding commitment and the scope of statewide operations may be points of negotiation in later committee review, especially in Ways and Means. Another possible area of discussion is how the warm line would be staffed and coordinated with existing crisis services such as Hawaiʻi CARES 988, though the bill expressly positions the warm line as separate from emergency crisis response.