STAND. COM. REP. NO. 726

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 671

S.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 Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 671, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Exclude from the definition of drug paraphernalia, testing products utilized in determining whether a controlled substance contains chemicals, toxic substances, or hazardous compounds in quantities that can cause physical harm or death, including but not limited to fentanyl test strips; and

(2) Define "fentanyl test strip".

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Hawai‘i Health and Harm Reduction Center, Drug Policy Forum of Hawai‘i, and four individuals.

Your Committee finds that there were seventy-four fatal opioid poisonings in the State in 2021, of which fifty were linked to synthetic opioids, including fentanyl. Fentanyl test strips may be useful to determine if drugs were mixed with fentanyl and help to prevent deadly overdoses. This measure will aid the State in the ongoing opioid crisis by providing greater awareness to the community of the illicit drug supply and necessary steps to prevent and reduce overdoses.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 671, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair