STAND. COM. REP. NO. 219

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 1739

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1739 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DRUGS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to address the problem of crystal methamphetamine (crystal meth) addiction by, among other things:

(1) Establishing a crystal meth eradication program, known as the "Drug Busters Program", to combat the manufacture, distribution, and sale of crystal meth;

(2) Establishing the Cigarette Tax Stamp Treatment Special Fund (Special Fund), into which an unspecified percentage of the cigarette stamp fee is to be deposited, to pay for costs incurred by the State for crystal meth treatment; and

(3) Appropriating an unspecified amount of funds out of:

(A) The Special Fund for crystal meth treatment;

(B) The Criminal Forfeiture Fund for enforcement pursuant to the Drug Busters Program; and

(C) The Tobacco Settlement Special Fund for crystal meth prevention programs.

The Department of the Attorney General offered comments on the bill.

Your Committee finds that crystal meth is easily available, highly profitable, and manufactured locally with over-the-counter drugs. It is, and continues to be, a public health problem of epidemic proportions. This bill provides the mechanisms to fund interdisciplinary "drug buster" teams of law enforcement and human service professionals that can work undercover and at the direction of the Attorney General.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1739 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

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

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair