STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1230

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 130

       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 Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 130 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE STATE SHERIFF TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR EXPANDING AND DEPLOYING THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS K9 UNIT TO COMBAT THE ILLICIT DRUG ABUSE EPIDEMIC IN THE STATE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the State Sheriff to create a working group to develop a plan for expanding and deploying the special operations K9 unit to combat the illicit drug abuse epidemic in the State.

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Public Safety.

Your Committee finds that abuse of illicit drugs is an epidemic that threatens the health, safety, and welfare of the people in Hawaii.  Drug-detecting canines, which have been widely-used across the globe, can be an effective tool in combatting this epidemic.  Your Committee finds that the expanded use of drug-detecting canines may help curtail the spread of the dangerous and deadly epidemic of illicit drug abuse across the State.

     However, your Committee understands the many concerns raised by the Department of Public Safety, including the expenses related to an expanded canine program and the lack of any involvement by the Department of Transportation or prosecutors' offices in the proposed working group.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by;

     (1)  Shifting the focus of the working group to the development of a course of action and possible operations to combat the drug epidemic in the State, including but not limited to the possibility of expanding the statewide K9 operations unit, and making conforming amendments throughout;

     (2)  Adding a representative from the Department of Transportation, United States Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii, Department of the Attorney General, and each county prosecutors' department or office to the working group;

     (3)  Amending its title to reflect the amended purpose; and

     (4)  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 Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 130, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 130, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

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CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair