STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2605

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2915

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2915, S.D. 1, 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 the Department of Public Safety, Injury Prevention Advisory Committee, and 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.  This measure allows the State's drug scheduling laws to be up to date with the developments at the federal and state levels.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by 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 Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2915, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2915, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means,

________________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair

________________________________ GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair