STAND. COM. REP. NO. 634

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1058

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 1058, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Attorney General, with the assistance of various public and private entities, to coordinate a review of the impact of diverting marijuana and low-level felony drug offenders to treatment centers rather than incarceration in the criminal justice system.

     Your Committee finds that diverting marijuana and low-level felony drug offenders to treatment centers rather than incarceration relieves the criminal justice system from overcrowding of inmates and reduces costs to the State for incarcerating those drug offenders.  Due to the current economic conditions, your Committee also finds that an unbiased report on the costs and benefits of a low-level drug offender diversion program is warranted to make fiscally-sound policy decisions.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050 to continue discussions; and

     (2)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1058, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1058, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair