STAND. COM. REP. NO.  154

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1177

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1177 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR A COMMUNITY ANTI-DRUG FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to support grass roots community involvement in the fight against drug abuse in the County of Hawaii by providing funding to the County of Hawaii's Community Anti-Drug Fund, which provides grants to various nonprofit organizations and community associations to conduct grass roots anti-drug and substance abuse activities in their communities.

     The Mayor of the County of Hawaii testified in support of this bill.

     Your Committee finds that community-led efforts to prevent and combat drug and other substance abuse complement government policing, prosecution, institutional rehabilitation, and education efforts and play a crucial role in our fight against drug abuse.  Your Committee finds that it is good public policy to provide financial support to community groups that collaborate and cooperate in prevention efforts to address these substance abuse issues.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Changing the appropriation amount for fiscal year 2007-2008 from $200,000 to an unspecified amount, to encourage further discussion in the Committee on Finance on the amount of necessary funding;

(2) Adding an appropriation of an unspecified amount for fiscal year 2008-2009; and

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1177, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1177, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

TOMMY WATERS, Chair