Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1530 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to make the drug demand reduction assessments special fund permanent, by deleting the repeal date of the enactment of the drug demand reduction assessment law.

Your Committee finds that Act 205, Session Laws of Hawaii 1995, as amended by Act 7, Session Laws of Hawaii 1996 and Act 152, Session Laws of Hawaii 1998, provides that any person convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or granted a deferred acceptance of guilty or no contest plea is subject to a court ordered monetary assessment to be paid into the drug demand reduction assessments special fund. The fund is administered by the Department of Health to supplement drug treatment and other drug demand reduction programs.

Your Committee recognizes that drug abuse is the cause of most property crime and domestic violence today. Furthermore, your Committee finds that past efforts and much of the present efforts relating to illicit drugs have focused on reducing the supply of those drugs. This bill, on the other hand, is aimed at reducing the demand or the need for illicit drugs and providing supplemental funding for substance abuse treatment prevention and treatment services. Your Committee believes that there is a compelling need to reduce the demand for illicit drugs and that, once this is achieved, a reduction in property crime, domestic abuse, and much violent crime will follow.

Nevertheless, your Committee recognizes that funds from the drug demand reduction assessments special fund are only now being expended for substance abuse treatment programs. Furthermore, your Committee is cognizant of the concerns raised by the Department of Budget and Finance, before your Committee on Judiciary, regarding the need for an evaluation of: the impact of the drug demand reduction program; and it's ability to remain self-supporting.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by extending the sunset provision until June 30, 2004.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1530, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1530, S.D. 1.