STAND. COM. REP. NO. 371

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 970

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 970 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CIVIL SERVICE EXEMPTION FOR THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY PROGRAM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to extend the exemption from civil service for Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program staff in the Department of Health hired on or after July 1, 2015, until June 30, 2020.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health.

     Your Committees find that due to the novelty of the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program (Program), local workers with specialized experience in dispensary regulations were not initially available for hire and thus initial implementation of the Program was delayed.  Your Committees find that an extension of the exempt status for medical marijuana dispensary licensing staff is necessary to avoid disruption of the on-going implementation of the Program.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting an effective date of June 30, 2017; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 970, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 970, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

________________________________ GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair