STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2314

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2811

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 Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2811 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 chapter 329, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, to be consistent with federal law, by allowing properly registered practitioners to prescribe drugs including buprenorphine and naloxone to patients undergoing medically managed withdrawal.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health and Department of Public Safety.

Your Committee finds that this measure will bring Hawaii law into conformity with federal law, and permit registered medical practitioners to prescribe drugs including buprenorphine and naloxone for purposes of "medically managed withdrawal", also known as "detoxification treatment" and "maintenance treatment". Your Committee finds that this measure will not limit the use of these drugs for medical purposes. Your Committee also finds that this measure will assist in enforcement of drug laws and prevention of drug abuse and diversion in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2811, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2811, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

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ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair