STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1887

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1113

H.D. 1

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 Ways and Means, 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 improve the administration of drug and alcohol toxicology testing.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Renames the state drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory, and its special fund, to remove the word "state";

(2) Authorizes moneys in the state highway fund to be expended for the cost of maintaining the drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory;

(3) Specifies that moneys in the drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory special fund shall be administered and expended by the Department of Transportation or appropriated as a grant-in-aid to the Emergency Services Department of the City and County of Honolulu;

(4) Appropriates moneys from the state highway fund into the drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory special fund;

(5) Appropriate moneys out of the drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory special fund for the establishment and maintenance of the drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory; and

(6) Prior to each of the Regular Sessions of 2025 and 2026, requires the Department of Health or the City and County of Honolulu to submit to the Legislature a report on the expenditures made from the drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory special fund.

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

Your Committee finds that improving highway safety and protecting the lives of community members and visitors are high priorities. Your Committee believes that establishing a drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory will provide law enforcement personnel and adjudicators with the resources necessary to protect the public from impaired drivers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) To comport with article VIII, section 1 of the Hawaii State Constitution, replacing certain references to the City and County of Honolulu with references to "a county with a population of five hundred thousand or more";

(2) Making amendments to certain Session Laws of Hawaii to conform to the extended repeal date of the drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory special fund; and

(3) Clarifying language intended to prevent the untimely lapsing of funds.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1113, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1113, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair