CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 28

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 535

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

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. 535, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHARMACISTS PRESCRIBING AND DISPENSING OF OPIOID ANTAGONIST,"

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 specify the individuals to whom pharmacists, acting in good faith and exercising reasonable care, may prescribe and dispense opioid antagonists.

Your Committee on Conference finds that deaths caused by opioids are often preventable with timely administration of an opioid antagonist, such as naloxone. Hawaii is one of the last states where opioid antagonists are not made widely available in the community through pharmacies. This measure specifies the individuals to whom pharmacists, acting in good faith and exercising reasonable care, may prescribe and dispense opioid antagonists, which will help make opioid antagonists more widely available in the community and aid in the reduction of drug overdoses in the State.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by 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. 535, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 535, S.D. 1, 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
____________________________ TAKASHI OHNO Co-Chair
____________________________ CHRIS LEE Co-Chair