# Hawaii SB 709: RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH.

Hawaii SB 709, RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH., is a 2025–2026 Regular Session (Year 2) Senate bill sponsored by SAN BUENAVENTURA; status failed, last action 2026-04-16 (Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 605).) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB709-2026
- As of: 2026-11-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Hawaii SB 709
- State: Hawaii
- Session: 2025–2026 Regular Session (Year 2)
- Title: RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-17
- Last action: 2026-04-16, Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 605).
- Sponsor: SAN BUENAVENTURA
- Cosponsors: 9
- Subjects: DOH, DLE, Mental Health, Crisis Intervention Officers, Assisted Community Treatment, Administration of Treatment Over the Patient's Objection, HSH/HLT, JHA
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 9 (164 yes, 5 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Requires the Director of Law Enforcement to adopt rules establishing training and certification standards and procedures for crisis intervention officers. Requires the Department of Health to approve the content of such training. Clarifies the scope of treatment permitted under assisted community treatment orders. Requires the Department of the Attorney General to assist with the preparation, filing, and presentation of requests for a court order to provide treatment over a patient's objection. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: SAN BUENAVENTURA
- Cosponsor: AQUINO
- Cosponsor: Stanley Chang (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Kurt Fevella (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Carol Fukunaga (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Troy N. Hashimoto (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Dru Mamo Kanuha (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Angus L.K. McKelvey (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Sharon Y. Moriwaki (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Karl Rhoads (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-14 | House | House Floor Vote | pass | 49 | 1 |   |
| 2026-04-08 | House | The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The ... | pass | 8 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-25 | House | Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA... | pass | 46 | 2 |   |
| 2026-03-19 | House | The committee on HSH recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The ... | pass | 8 | 1 |   |
| 2026-03-19 | House | The committee on HLT recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The ... | pass | 8 | 1 |   |
| 2026-03-10 | Senate | Senate Floor Vote | pass | 25 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENT... | pass | 12 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-13 | Senate | The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENT... | pass | 3 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-13 | Senate | The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENT... | pass | 5 | 0 |   |

## Actions (30)

- 2026-04-16: Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 605). (Senate)
- 2026-04-16: Senate disagrees with House amendments. (Senate)
- 2026-04-16: Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 710). (House)
- 2026-04-14: Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Alcos, Iwamoto voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Amato voting no (1) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1). Transmitted to Senate. (House)
- 2026-04-10: Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2125-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading. (House)
- 2026-04-10: Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 04-14-26. (House)
- 2026-04-08: The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Sayama, Cochran. (House)
- 2026-04-06: Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Wednesday, 04-08-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. (House)
- 2026-03-25: Reported from HSH/HLT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1432-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA. (House)
- 2026-03-25: Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with Representative(s) Alcos voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Amato, Pierick voting no (2) and Representative(s) Matsumoto, Perruso excused (2). (House)
- 2026-03-19: The committee on HSH recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Marten, Olds, Hartsfield, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Takayama, Takenouchi, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Alcos; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Amato; and Excused: none. (House)
- 2026-03-19: The committee on HLT recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Hartsfield, Marten, Olds, Takenouchi, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Alcos; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Amato; and Excused: none. (House)
- 2026-03-17: Bill scheduled to be heard by HSH/HLT on Thursday, 03-19-26 9:30AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. (House)
- 2026-03-12: Pass First Reading (House)
- 2026-03-12: Referred to HSH/HLT, JHA, referral sheet 17 (House)
- 2026-03-10: Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House. (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 139) in amended form (SD 2). (House)
- 2026-03-06: Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2950) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). (Senate)
- 2026-03-06: 48 Hrs. Notice 03-10-26. (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 12 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Richards, Wakai; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella. (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 03-03-26 10:17AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference. (Senate)
- 2025-12-08: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
- 2025-02-14: Reported from HHS/JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 656) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM. (Senate)
- 2025-02-14: Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. (Senate)
- 2025-02-13: The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HHS were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, Aquino, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Hashimoto, Keohokalole. (Senate)
- 2025-02-13: The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none. (Senate)
- 2025-02-05: The committee(s) on HHS/JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 02-13-25 9:00AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference. (Senate)
- 2025-01-23: Referred to HHS/JDC, WAM. (Senate)
- 2025-01-21: Passed First Reading. (Senate)
- 2025-01-17: Introduced. (Senate)

## Bill text

- Bill Text: [PDF](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB709_HD2_.pdf)
- Original: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB709_.HTM), [PDF](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB709_.PDF)
- SB709_HD1: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB709_HD1_.HTM)
- SB709_HD2: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB709_HD2_.HTM)
- SB709_SD1: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB709_SD1_.HTM)
- SB709_SD2: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB709_SD2_.HTM)

## Related bills

- SB 847: RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS. (became law)
- HB 2344: RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES. (signed)
- HB 2023: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION. (signed)
- HB 2021: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION. (signed)
- SB 2338: RELATING TO HOUSING. (signed)
- HB 1973: RELATING TO HEALTH. (signed)

## Sources
- [Bill Text (PDF)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB709_HD2_.pdf)
- [Original (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB709_.HTM)
- [Original (PDF)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB709_.PDF)
- [SB709_HD1 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB709_HD1_.HTM)
- [SB709_HD2 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB709_HD2_.HTM)
- [SB709_SD1 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB709_SD1_.HTM)
- [SB709_SD2 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB709_SD2_.HTM)

## Related
- [SB 847: RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB847-2026)
- [HB 2344: RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB2344-2026)
- [HB 2023: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB2023-2026)
- [HB 2021: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB2021-2026)
- [SB 2338: RELATING TO HOUSING.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB2338-2026)
- [HB 1973: RELATING TO HEALTH.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB1973-2026)
- [Hawaii bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/hawaii/bills)
- [Hawaii state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/hawaii)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB709-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).