SB1936

The changed measurement: where the carrier is paper not marked or perforated into individual abuse units, the amended definition uses “each 10 milligrams of paper, calculated by rounding the weight down to the nearest whole number,” instead of each “quarter-inch square section” of paper. The specified weight is the paper’s weight, not a new requirement to measure only the pure drug. Final law, Section 1; Earlier definition, subdivision (50).

What stays: the definition retains the separate commonly used single-unit rule for marked or perforated paper and other listed carriers, subject to its liquid-or-solid-form exception. That separate exception remains 40 micrograms of the controlled substance including adulterants or dilutants. Penalty Group 1-A includes LSD and the specified related class of compounds listed in Section 481.1021; it is not a general rule for every controlled substance. Final law, Section 1; Penalty Group 1-A substances.

Why counting matters: existing manufacture-or-delivery and possession statutes use abuse-unit counts to distinguish offense levels. SB1936 changes this part of the measurement definition, not the numerical penalty thresholds themselves. A changed count could affect how an offense is classified; the act does not establish that every case will receive a higher or lower penalty. Final law; Manufacture or delivery thresholds; Possession thresholds and existing defenses.

Timing and passage: the change applies only to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025. If any element occurred before that date, the former law governs. All five published versions have identical operative provisions and no amendments are indexed. Certified votes were 31–0 in the Senate and 108–26 in the House, with two House members present but not voting. Introduced; Senate committee; Senate-passed; House committee; Final law, Sections 2–3 and certification; Version index; Amendment index.

Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.

Investigators, courts and people charged with applicable offenses must use the revised measurement for qualifying post-effective-date conduct. The criminal-justice impact statement says the change may affect community-supervision or confinement demand, but assumes no significant effect on state correctional populations or resources. Its fiscal 2024 background counts—308 arrests, 26 referrals, 40 adult community-supervision placements and 21 adult state-institution admissions—describe certain Penalty Group 1-A offenses, not forecasts of additional cases caused by this bill or necessarily distinct people. It reports no juvenile state-institution admissions in that background category. Criminal-justice impact statement.

The April 7 fiscal note anticipates no significant state fiscal implication. Any state revenue effect depends on the number of offenses and associated court costs. It assumes local enforcement, prosecution, supervision and confinement effects would not be significant. It does not predict each defendant’s sentence or promise government savings. Fiscal note.