STAND. COM. REP. NO. 892

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 997

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 997 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to update the Uniform Controlled Substances Act to make it consistent with amendments in federal controlled substances law as required under section 329-11, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from The Drug Policy Forum of Hawai‘i and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that this measure is necessary to make Hawaii's Uniform Controlled Substance Act under chapter 329, Hawaii Revised Statutes, consistent with changes to federal law and that these updates to Hawaii's Uniform Controlled Substances Act are in the interest of public health and safety.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting an effective date of January 7, 2059, to encourage further discussion; and

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

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

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

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GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair