STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2291

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2403

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Health and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2403 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Combat substance abuse among youth and adolescents using school-based treatment programs; and

     (2)  Provide therapeutic living programs to newly recovering addicts assists them in becoming contributing members of the community.

     Specifically, this measure appropriates $940,062 for substance abuse services for youth and adolescents and $1,176,000 for the establishment of therapeutic living programs.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Aloha House, Inc. and thirty three individuals.  The Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition submitted testimony in support with recommended amendments.  The Department of Health submitted comments on this measure.

     Your Committees find that school-based substance abuse treatment programs are an effective mechanism to treat, intervene, and counsel many of our at-risk youth statewide.  Your Committees further find that providing the necessary support for clients of treatment programs to successfully transition to independent living is essential to their success.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Revising the appropriation amount for the school-based substance abuse programs to $800,767, which is to be apportioned as follows:

     Oahu          $ 100,000

     Kauai           180,000

     Maui            121,000

     Hawaii          399,676; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2403, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2403, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Education,

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair