STAND. COM. REP. NO. 140-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2894
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Public Safety and Military
Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2894 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to establish a Substance Abuse
Policy Council within the Office of the Governor to develop
statewide policy regarding education, prevention, and treatment
programs.

     The Department of Public Safety, the American Civil
Liberties Union of Hawaii, the Community Alliance on Prisons, and
a member of the public testified in support of the measure.  
The Judiciary, the Hawaii Paroling Authority, and the Department
of Health (DOH) supported the intent of the measure.  The
Department of Taxation, the Department of the Prosecuting
Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, the Department of
Accounting and General Services, the Department of Human
Services, and Volcano Vineyard, commented on the measure.
Anheuser Busch, the Wine Institute, Tedeschi Vineyards, Ltd., the
Hawaii Liquor Wholesalers Association, and the Hawaii Hotel
Association opposed the bill.

     Your Committees find that substance abuse is a growing
problem in Hawaii.  Your Committees believe that this measure
will help to resolve this growing social problem.


 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 140-00
                                 Page 2

 
     Your Committees have amended this bill by deleting language
establishing a Substance Abuse Policy Council and replacing it
with language establishing a Substance Abuse Multi-Agency
Coordinating Council (SAMACC).  Under the amended bill, SAMACC
would:

     (1)  Develop a statewide integrated policy setting the
          general direction for substance abuse prevention and
          treatment; and

     (2)  Be chaired by the Director of Health or the director's
          designee, or by a rotating chair as established by a
          majority vote of the members of SAMACC.

     This bill would further require DOH to:

     (1)  Provide staffing for SAMACC;

     (2)  Serve as the multi-agency task force lead facilitator
          and coordinator;

     (3)  Provide the latest research and quality assurance
          review findings to assist the task force in identifying
          promising strategies to increase the effectiveness of
          the statewide prevention and treatment continuum of
          programs;

     (4)  Hire an exempt grantwriter to assist SAMACC and the
          state agencies in securing additional funding to
          support an integrated continuum of programs;

     (5)  Assist SAMACC in promoting substance abuse awareness
          and education efforts; and

     (6)  Provide an annual report on SAMACC activities to
          develop an integrated substance abuse policy, including
          a report on the extent to which program planning and
          funding requests have been integrated and coordinated.

     Testimony received from DOH indicated that the Community
Alliance Advisory Committee can be established by the DOH without
express statutory authorization.  Therefore, your Committees have
deleted the provisions establishing a Community Alliance Advisory
Committee.

     Technical, nonsubstantive amendments have also been made for
purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.


 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 140-00
                                 Page 3

 
     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Health and Public Safety and Military Affairs that
are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with
the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2894, as amended herein, and
recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto
as H.B. No. 2894, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on
Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Health and
                                   Public Safety and Military
                                   Affairs,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
NESTOR GARCIA, Chair               ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair