STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 996

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 1739

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 H.B. No. 1739, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DRUGS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to continue efforts to win the battle against ice by:

(1) Establishing the Drug Busters Program within the

Department of the Attorney General (AG) to combat the manufacture, distribution, and sale of crystal methamphetamine; and

(2) Provide funding for:

(A) Substance abuse treatment and prevention programs;

(B) A statewide substance abuse awareness and education

campaign;

(D) Student substance abuse referrals for assessments

by certified substance abuse counselors.

The Community Alliance on Prisons, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Hina Mauka, Hawaii Juvenile Justice Project, The Salvation Army, Aloha House Maui, Malama Family Recovery Center Board, Coalition for a Drug Free Hawaii, and a concerned individual supported this bill. The AG and Department of Education supported the intent of this measure. The Department of Health provided comments on this measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Changing the appropriations to $1; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes 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 H.B. No. 1739, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1739, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

		____________________________ DWIGHT TAKAMINE, Chair