STAND. COM. REP. NO.1008
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2001
RE: S.B. No. 1121
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2001
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1121 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SALE OF STERILE SYRINGES FOR THE PREVENTION OF DISEASE,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to authorize pharmacists and health care providers to sell sterile syringes for the purpose of preventing the transmission of disease.
The Department of Health, the Hawaii Medical Association, Department of Human Services, Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and Community Health Outreach Work to Prevent AIDS Project testified in support of this measure.
The Honolulu Police Department and Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu opposed this measure feeling that the "bridge to treatment" features of the current needle exchange program were weakened by this measure. They also expressed concerns that this measure provides another opportunity for intravenous (IV) drug users to obtain syringes for the use of illicit drugs.
While your Committee is sympathetic to the concerns raised, the health implications of this measure far outweigh the concerns.
Your Committee realizes the sharing of needles by IV drug users is a major cause of the spread of HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and other fatal blood-borne diseases. Although this is common knowledge among IV drug users, the practices of needle sharing and IV drug use have not diminished.
Furthermore, your Committee recognizes that research conducted by the federal government determined that increased access to sterile syringes does not lead to increased drug use, but instead reduces transmission of deadly blood-borne diseases.
Your Committee had concerns regarding the public health implications of the disposal of used needles and syringes and the impact this would have on the overall health of the community and has amended this bill accordingly by requiring the Director of Health to:
(1) Develop and implement a system of disposing of used syringes received from the public;
(2) Develop and implement a system of tracking syringes purchased in accordance with this bill that are exchanged for new syringes under the state Needle Exchange Program; and
(3) Submit a report to the Legislature on the status of implementing the disposal and tracking system no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2002.
Your Committee has also amended this measure by:
(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2002;
(2) Adding a repeal date of July 1, 2004; and
(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1121, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1121, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,
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____________________________ DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair |