Report Title:

Substance Abuse Treatment; Funding

Description:

Provides for permanent source of funding to the mental health and substance abuse special fund by requiring that a specified amount from liquor and tobacco tax collections be annually deposited into the mental health and substance abuse special fund to be used for substance abuse services.

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

800

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that substance abuse continues to be a particularly pernicious problem among youth adolescents in Hawaii, resulting in adverse impacts upon families. According to the department of health in its report, "The 2000 Hawaii Student Alcohol and Drug Abuse Use Study (1987-2000), Hawaii Adolescent Prevention and Treatment Needs Assessment" (DOH report), experts in the field have linked substance abuse to other societal problems, including family dysfunction, juvenile delinquency, poor academic achievement, impaired emotional functioning, and lowered social competence. Furthermore, the economic costs to society are often astronomical, with much of the burden falling on persons who are not substance abusers. Nearly half of all twelfth graders, approximately one-fourth of tenth and eighth graders, and nearly one-tenth of sixth graders have tried at least one drug, with the most prevalent being marijuana, followed by inhalants, hallucinogens, and ecstasy.

According to the United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, drug use is increasing in Hawaii due to the highly addictive nature of crystal methamphetamine, which is estimated to account for forty-four per cent of Hawaii's homicides. All drugs account for an estimated ninety per cent of the State's 2,300 confirmed cases of child abuse each year.

The legislature further finds that to reduce or eliminate the use of drugs as a contributing factor to physical, psychological, and social dysfunction, and to arrest, retard, or reverse the progress of secondary problems, it is critical to expand the availability of substance abuse treatment services.

Cognizant that the availability of substance abuse treatment services is fundamentally a problem of inadequate funding, the legislature believes that a portion of the taxes on alcohol and tobacco should be used to fund substance abuse services.

The purpose of this Act is to require a portion of moneys collected from liquor taxes and tobacco taxes be deposited annually into the mental health and substance abuse special fund.

SECTION 2. Section 244D-17, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§244D-17[]] Disposition of revenues. All moneys collected pursuant to this chapter shall be paid into the state treasury as state realizations, to be kept and accounted for as provided by law[.]; provided that no later than July 15 of each year, the sum of $ , shall be deposited into the mental health and substance abuse special fund under section 334-15."

SECTION 3. Section 245-15, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§245-15 Disposition of revenues. All moneys collected pursuant to this chapter shall be paid into the state treasury as state realizations to be kept and accounted for as provided by law[.]; provided that no later than July 15 of each year, the sum of $ , shall be deposited into the mental health and substance abuse special fund under section 334-15."

SECTION 4. Section 334-15, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§334-15 Mental health and substance abuse special fund; established. (a) There is established a special fund to be known as the mental health and substance abuse special fund into which shall be deposited all revenues and other moneys collected from certification programs and treatment services rendered by the mental health and substance abuse programs operated by the State. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the department is authorized to establish separate accounts within the special fund for depositing moneys received from certification programs and from each mental health and substance abuse program. Moneys deposited into the respective accounts of each program shall be used for the payment of the operating expenses of the respective program.

(b) Moneys received under sections 244D-17 and 245-15 shall be expended solely for substance abuse treatment services.

[(b)] (c) The director shall submit a report to the legislature, not later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session, which identifies for each account in the special fund, the account balance and ceiling increase, any transfers and expenditures made, and the purposes of the expenditures."

SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________