STAND. COM. REP. NO. 767

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1481

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1481, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INTERVENTION FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish and fund a pilot program for screening, brief intervention, and referral to substance abuse treatment facilities for people who suffer injuries or trauma resulting from the use of alcohol or illegal substances.

     Your Committee received comments in support of the bill from the Lieutenant Governor, the Department of Health, the University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns school of medicine, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and one private citizen.

     Your Committee finds that medical personnel in emergency rooms often encounter people who have sustained injuries or trauma from the abuse of alcohol or illegal substances.  At this time, there is no program established that properly seizes these opportunities to help the people who were injured.

     Your Committee believes that it would benefit the injured people to receive screening, brief intervention, education, and, if necessary, a referral to an appropriate care or treatment facility as part of an emergency room visit.

     Your Committee finds that establishing a pilot project, as recommended by the United States Department of Health and Human Services and as implemented in various other states, would be the most preferable way to address these issues.  Your Committee further finds that similar programs are evidence-based, cost-effective, and have shown significant success in treating alcohol and illegal substances abusers receiving the services.

     Your Committee amended the bill to:

     (1)  Limit the initial duration of the pilot program to two years;

     (2)  Clarify that the University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine will establish and administer the pilot program;

     (3)  Require the administering agency to submit a report to the Legislature and to make recommendations, including whether to continue the pilot program after the initial two-year period; and

     (4)  Make technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, style, and consistency.

     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. 1481, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1481, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair