HB 1578 – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
15Feb2006… 0620h
2006 SESSION
09/01
HOUSE BILL 1578
AN ACT to provide enhanced awareness of and education on methamphetamine to the citizens of New Hampshire.
SPONSORS: Rep. J. Tilton, Merr 6; Rep. Wall, Straf 7; Rep. Butynski, Ches 4; Rep. Tupper, Merr 6; Rep. Morrison, Belk 2; Sen. Larsen, Dist 15
COMMITTEE: Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs
This bill encourages state efforts to provide enhanced awareness of and education on methamphetamine to the citizens of New Hampshire.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
15Feb2006… 0620h
06-2945
09/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Six
AN ACT to provide enhanced awareness of and education on methamphetamine to the citizens of New Hampshire.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Purpose. The general court finds that the citizens of our state have a right to knowledge that may protect them and the state of New Hampshire from the dangers of methamphetamine, as well as other drugs. It is the purpose of this bill to assure that the opportunity to learn about methamphetamine is provided at the state and local level through a coordinated statewide methamphetamine awareness and education program.
2 New Subdivision; Methamphetamine Awareness and Education Program. Amend RSA 12-J by inserting after section 4 the following new subdivision:
Methamphetamine Awareness and Education Program
12-J:5 Methamphetamine Awareness and Education Program.
I. The department of health and human services and the office of alcohol and drug policy shall support the commission, established in RSA 12-J:1, in efforts to bring specific public awareness and education about the growing threat which the street drug methamphetamine poses to the people and the state of New Hampshire, in addition to and, where feasible in combination with, any current awareness education on alcohol and other drugs. A specific methamphetamine awareness and education program may include information on:
(a) Prevention.
(b) Methamphetamine use and abuse, and associated health conditions.
(c) Treatment, and how to access services.
(d) Endangerment of children and incapacitated persons, as well as first responders and others.
(e) Dangers from methamphetamine labs, toxic waste, and resulting environmental hazards.
(f) Methamphetamine and other drug laws and penalties.
(g) Preventive strategies for schools to use.
II. The department of health and human services, in cooperation with the commission, may initiate the development and implementation of a Meth Watch program similar to the Meth Watch program first designed and implemented in the state of Kansas and adopted by numerous other states, including the state of Maine, and coordinate its efforts with the department of health and human services and other state agencies.
III. The commission and the department of health and human services shall support methamphetamine public awareness efforts with the existing resources of the commission and the department.
IV. The commission may solicit and/or accept gifts, grants, donations, and other contributions specifically for methamphetamine public awareness and education and may utilize other available private and public source of funding.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 90 days after its passage.
LBAO
06-2945
3/8/06
HB 1578 FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT to provide enhanced awareness of and education on methamphetamine to the citizens of New Hampshire.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Health and Human Services states this bill, as amended by the House (Amendment #2006-0620h), will increase state revenue and expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2006 and each year thereafter. This bill will have no fiscal impact on county and local revenue or expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) states this bill amends RSA 12-J:5 to create a Methamphetamine (Meth) Awareness and Education Program. This bill states DHHS and the Office of Alcohol and Drug Policy shall support the Governor’s Commission on Drug Abuse in efforts to bring public education and awareness about methamphetamine to the State of New Hampshire. This program may include information on prevention; methamphetamine use and abuse; treatment, endangerment of children and incapacitated persons; dangers from labs, toxic waste and resulting environmental hazards; methamphetamine and other drug laws and penalties; and preventative strategies in schools. This bill also states that the Commission may develop and implement a Meth Watch Program similar to the program implemented by Kansas and other states, and shall support these efforts with existing resources of the Commission and the Department. This bill allows the Commission to solicit and/or accept gifts, grants, and donations and other contributions specifically for methamphetamine public awareness and education, and may utilize other available sources of private and public funds.
The Department states New Hampshire’s Methamphetamine Awareness and Education Program would be modeled after the Kansas Methamphetamine Prevention Initiative. The annual cost of the Kansas initiative is $135,000, which includes two full-time employees, travel, trainings, materials, printing, and community incentive/participation grants. The Kansas Meth Watch Program is in addition to the Kansas Prevention Initiative and has an annual cost of $155,000, which includes 1.6 full-time employees, travel, printing, video production for public awareness and education, data collection and management, and education trainings. The total cost of both Kansas programs is $290,000 ($135,000 + $155,000). The Department states Kansas has about one million more residents than New Hampshire and is larger geographically. This may result in lower costs for the New Hampshire programs. The Department states due to limited funding to support current drug and alcohol initiatives, it would not be possible to support these initiatives through existing resources of the Commission and the Department. The Department could offset costs through grants, gifts, and donations as stated in this bill, but the availability of these funds is unknown at this time.