STAND. COM. REP. NO. 506

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 225
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 225 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AMBULANCE SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to
provide twenty-four hour advanced life support ambulance service.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Health (DOH), Council Chair and two
members of the County Council of Maui, American Medical Response,
numerous private citizens of the Kula Community Association who
signed a petition, and one other private citizen.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will provide parity
in emergency health care for residents and visitors of Kula,
Makawao, and Pukalani, known as the upcountry region of Maui.
According to the DOH, there is currently only one life support
ambulance unit providing twenty-four hour per day service to this
region and one unit providing ten-hour service.  Your Committee
finds that the ambulance service should be expanded in the
interests of the health and welfare of upcountry residents.  The
DOH estimates the cost of increasing the one ambulance service
from ten to twenty-four hour service would be approximately
$492,000 per year.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your

 
a                                                     SB225      
 
                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 506
                                   Page 2


Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 225 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health and Human
                                   Services,



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
a                                                     SB225