STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2299

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2244

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2244 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Require health care providers in the workers' compensation system who are authorized to prescribe opioids to adopt and maintain policies for informed consent to opioid therapy in circumstances that carry elevated risk of dependency; and

 

     (2)  Establish limits for concurrent opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions in the workers' compensation system.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Department of Health; City and County of Honolulu, Department of Human Resources; and Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

 

     Your Committee finds that a nationwide drug epidemic, associated with prescription pain relieving drugs, is causing alarming rates of addiction, overdose, and death.  This measure attempts to address the issue of misuse and abuse of prescription drugs by requiring health care providers in the workers' compensation system who are authorized to prescribe opioids to adopt and maintain policies for informed consent to opioid therapy in circumstances that carry elevated risk of dependency and limiting concurrent opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions.

 

     Your Committee has heard the concerns from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and Hawaii Health Systems Corporation concerning implementation of this measure but believes such concerns would be best addressed by your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2045, to encourage further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2244, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2244, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair