STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3011

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     H.B. No. 2391

        H.D. 2

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2391, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIFORM CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to grant the Administrator of the Department of Public Safety's Narcotics Enforcement Division the discretion to disclose confidential investigative information from the Electronic Prescription Accountability System, more commonly known as the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program or PDMP, to authorized employees of the Department of Health's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division and Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention System Branch.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Public Safety, Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition.

 

     Your Committee finds that opioid addiction and abuse are a growing problem, with nearly seventy-five Hawaii residents dying from prescription opioid overdose each year.  The PDMP is a useful resource that provides a picture of opioid prescribing and pharmacy dispensing practices and patterns in the State.  Your Committee finds that the increased access to the PDMP proposed by this measure will better inform the Department of Health's Strategic Plan with preventing opioid addiction and overdose and will fulfill an objective of the Hawaii Opioid Action Plan developed by the Hawaii Opioid and Substance Misuse Initiative – a wide range of legislators, public officials, law enforcement and first responders, health care professionals, and citizens convened to develop and implement a plan to reduce prescription opioid abuse and deaths.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 2018.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2391, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2391, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

 

 

 

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair