STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1621
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2005
RE: S.B. No. 1816
S.D. 2
H.D. 2
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2005
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1816, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STUDENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE ASSESSMENT REFERRALS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to reduce substance abuse among students by:
(1) Providing that a student must be assessed by a certified substance abuse treatment counselor or professional qualified pursuant to chapter 431M, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), prior to being excluded from school for a substance abuse violation;
(2) Specifying that follow-up counseling and other student services must be provided to a child who has been assessed for a school substance abuse violation as not needing treatment for substance abuse or dependency;
(3) Establishing a task force to review the process by which a child who violates the zero tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol in public schools is referred for assessment and treatment of substance abuse and excluded from school; and
(4) Appropriating $400,000 for fiscal year 2005-2006, for student assessments by certified substance abuse treatment counselors or professionals qualified pursuant to chapter 431M, HRS.
Hina Mauka, the Hawaii Juvenile Justice Project, and a concerned individual supported this bill with amendments. The Department of Health, Department of Education, and The Drug Policy Action Group supported the intent of this measure.
Your Committee has amended this bill by:
(1) Changing the appropriation to $1; and
(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1816, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1816, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,
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____________________________ DWIGHT TAKAMINE, Chair |
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