HB 559 Summary

• Establishes a suicide prevention task force within the Hawaii Department of Health to examine and evaluate methods to improve education, awareness, support services, and outreach for suicide prevention.

• Task force composition includes 15 members including the Department of Health suicide prevention coordinator, gubernatorial appointees, legislative appointees, survivors of suicide, members from the Hawaii Youth Leadership Council for Suicide Prevention, and representatives from mental health organizations and the military.

• Task force must convene within 30 days of passage, meet at least quarterly, elect a chair and vice chair, and operate on a volunteer basis with no member compensation.

• Task force shall submit a strategic plan to the legislature no later than 20 days before the 2018 regular session, with the goal of reducing suicide in Hawaii by 25% by 2025 using calendar year 2016 as the baseline.

• Task force terminates on January 1, 2018.