STAND. COM. REP. NO. 307-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2253

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 2253 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require:

(1) All law enforcement officers to carry an opioid antagonist while on-duty;

(2) The Department of Health to establish education and training projects on drug overdose response and treatment for law enforcement personnel; and

(3) All restaurants and hotel establishments to maintain an available inventory of naloxone.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Law Enforcement; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; and Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and Honolulu Police Department.

Your Committee finds that the timely administration of an opioid antagonist when a person is experiencing an opioid-related overdose saves lives. Your Committee further finds that if opioid antagonists are on hand during an emergency at restaurants and hotels, employees of those establishments will be able to act quickly to prevent an opioid-related death.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Permitting, rather than requiring:

(A) All law enforcement officers to carry opioid antagonists while on duty;

(B) The Department of Health to establish education and training projects; and

(C) The Department of Health to require all hotel establishments and restaurants maintain an available inventory of an opioid antagonist;

(2) Requiring funds for the purchase of opioid antagonists used by a law enforcement officer employed by a county to come from that county's general revenues or share of any opioid litigation proceeds;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2253, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2253, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health & Homelessness,

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair