STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2308

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2915

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2915 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to update the Uniform Controlled Substances Act for consistency with amendments in federal controlled substances law.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Ho‘omana Pono, LLC, and one individual.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association; Kindred Spirit Kindred Care, LLC; and five individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from one individual.

     Your Committees find that drug scheduling in Hawaii is generally kept in accordance with federal standards.  Federal standards change as new chemical compounds are developed and cataloged by law enforcement.  Additionally, Hawaii has unique needs stemming from state initiatives and programs such as the electronic prescription accountability system and the medical marijuana program.  Developments on the federal and state level require an update to the drug scheduling statutes in Hawaii.

     Your Committees further find that since the electronic prescription accountability system is geared toward doctors treating human patients and is not applicable to veterinarians, amendments to this measure are necessary to clarify who must register to use the system.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding language to exclude veterinarians from mandatory registration with the Department of Public Safety to use the electronic prescription accountability system; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2915, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2915, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair