CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 13-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 2488

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2488, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICAL CANNABIS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to establish the medical cannabis insurance reimbursement working group to address reimbursement by health insurance for medical cannabis for qualifying patients.

Your Committee on Conference finds that Act 230, Session Laws of Hawaii 2016, established a legislative oversight group, which is responsible for developing and recommending legislation to improve the state medical cannabis dispensary system to ensure that qualifying patients have safe and legal access to cannabis. Due to the complexity of the issues surrounding health insurance reimbursement for medical cannabis, your Committee on Conference further finds that the establishment of a separate, more narrowly focused working group, dedicated to tackling the difficult issues raised by health insurance reimbursement for medical cannabis, and to be assisted by the Legislative Research Bureau, is necessary.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Legislative Research Bureau shall provide assistance to the working group, including research and drafting assistance; and

(2) Making it effective upon approval.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2488, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2488, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER Chair
____________________________ ROY M. TAKUMI Co-Chair	____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH Co-Chair
____________________________ BERTRAND KOBAYASHI Co-Chair