Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 297, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the Drug Strike Force Program within the Department of Public Safety and provide funding for the Drug Strike Force Program, crystal methamphetamine treatment and an adolescent treatment center on the island of Hawaii, and crystal methamphetamine prevention efforts. The measure also establishes the Office of the Drug Czar within the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

In addition, this bill establishes the temporary Coordinated Council on Drug Control in the Department of Public Safety for the purpose of reviewing existing coordinating bodies and statutes and proposing a model comprehensive coordinating body to address drug abuse in this State.

This bill further creates the cigarette tax stamp treatment special fund in the Department of Health for use in poly-drug abuse treatment. The special fund is to receive an unspecified percentage of the denominated value of the cigarette stamp fee. Payment of expenses arising in connection with enforcement pursuant to the drug strike force program is to be partially funded from the criminal forfeiture fund in the Department of the Attorney General.

This bill also appropriates unspecified funds from the cigarette tax stamp treatment special fund and the criminal forfeiture fund for their respective purposes, as detailed in the previous paragraph.

In addition, this bill appropriates unspecified amounts for fiscal year 2003-2004 for:

Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this bill by deleting its entire contents except for the appropriations of unspecified amounts for fiscal year 2003-2004 for:

Your Committee has also added a new appropriation for fiscal year 2003-2004, as a grant pursuant to chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to the police departments of the various counties for programs to prevent and treat crystal methamphetamine use on a statewide basis. Finally, your Committee has added a provision to repeal the June 30, 2003 sunset of Act 203, Session Laws of Hawaii 1995, which enacted the Drug Dealer Liability Act, now codified as chapter 663D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, thereby making the law permanent; and a new section containing the appropriate Ramseyer language to conform to the amendment.

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 H.B. No. 297, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 297, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.