STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3908

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 194

H.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Judiciary, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 194, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT TO CONDUCT A STUDY TO DETERMINE IF XYLAZINE TESTING STRIPS SHOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM THE STATE'S DEFINITION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Law Enforcement to conduct a study to determine if xylazine testing strips should be excluded from the State's definition of drug paraphernalia.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Law Enforcement, Department of Health Alcohol and Drug Division, and Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition.

Your Committees find that recently criminal fentanyl manufacturers are combining xylazine, a sedative commonly used in veterinary medicine, with fentanyl to create a potent drug combination that increases the likelihood of a fatal drug overdose. Your Committees further find that legislatures across the country have altered their drug paraphernalia laws to either explicitly legalize fentanyl test strips or generally legalize drug testing equipment in order to combat fentanyl overdoses. Your Committees conclude that to decrease fatal overdoses within the State, it is necessary for the Department of Law Enforcement to study if xylazine testing strips should be excluded from the State's definition of drug paraphernalia.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 194, H.D. 1, and recommend its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Judiciary,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair