STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1156

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   S.B. No. 997

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 997, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to update Hawaii's Uniform Controlled Substances Act to conform to the controlling federal law by adding several new substances that were scheduled by the federal government or emergency scheduled by the Department of Public Safety in the past year.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety, Kush Bottles Hawaii, and two individuals.  The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii and an individual submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2070, to encourage further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 997, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 997, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair