STAND

STAND. COM. REP. 1443

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 745

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 745, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide emergency medical services to rural communities by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Health (DOH) to establish, maintain, evaluate, and improve emergency aeromedical services throughout the State; and

(2) Appropriating funds for:

(a) Emergency aeromedical helicopter services for Maui County;

(b) Ambulance services for Waianae;

(d) Emergency advanced life support ambulance services for the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates region of the island of Hawaii.

The Mayor of Maui County, several members of the Maui County Council, Hawaii County Fire Department, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Honolulu Paramedic Association, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and many concerned individuals testified in support of this bill. The Department of Emergency Services of the City and County of Honolulu supported the bill with an amendment. The Department of Health supported the intent of the bill. Comments were provided by Hawaii Air Ambulance and several individuals. A concerned individual testified in opposition to the bill.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Changing the reference to ambulance services for Waianae to ambulance services for the Waianae Coast;

(2) Adding additional information to the legislative findings of part II of the bill; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 745, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 745, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

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

		____________________________ DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair