STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1275

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1113

H.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 1113, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TOXICOLOGY TESTING LABORATORY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize funds in the State Highway Fund to be expended to maintain the drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory;

(2) Authorize funds in the Drug and Alcohol Toxicology Testing Laboratory Special Fund to be administered and expended by the Department of Transportation or appropriated as a grant-in-aid to the City and County of Honolulu Emergency Services Department to support the laboratory;

(3) Require reports to the Legislature; and

(4) Appropriate funds for the laboratory.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation.

Your Committee finds that the safety of all roadway users is of paramount importance. Presently, the Department of Health does not have enough resources to fulfill the increased need for blood alcohol testing across the State. Additionally, the Emergency Services Department of the City and County of Honolulu processes all alcohol blood level tests for the entire State, including tests for suspected cases of driving under the influence. This measure eases the resource-intensive strain on blood alcohol level testing to create safer roadways for Hawaii's people.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1113, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts,

________________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair