STAND. COM. REP. NO. 801

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 536

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 536, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PRESCRIPTIONS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to clarify that existing law intended to curb over-access to and abuse of opioids, including the time frame for filling prescriptions, supply limitations, and requirements to check the state electronic prescription accountability system and execute an informed consent process, do not apply to qualifying patients who are prescribed or issued prescriptions pursuant to the State's Our Care, Our Choice Act.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

 

     Your Committee finds that allowing medications prescribed to terminally ill patients pursuant to the Our Care, Our Choice Act to be filled and held by the pharmacy for up to thirty days will increase convenience and diminish the risk of accidental poisoning for those patients.  Your Committee further finds that, as currently written, section 329-38, Hawaii Revised Statutes, was amended by Act 66, Session Laws of Hawaii 2017, and is subject to repeal and reenactment on June 30, 2023.  Your Committee recommends keeping the amendments made in this measure permanently.  Therefore, your Committee additionally finds that an amendment is necessary to preserve the provisions of this measure from the effects of the repeal and reenactment of Act 66, Session Laws of Hawaii 2017.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by providing that the amendments made to section 329-38, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by this measure shall not be repealed when that section is repealed and reenacted pursuant to Act 66, Session Laws of Hawaii 2017.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 536, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 536, S.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair