STAND. COM. REP. NO.1428

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 1182

H.D. 2

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1182, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Health to establish an aeromedical emergency medical services system as part of its state comprehensive emergency medical services system.

Furthermore, this bill appropriates general funds in fiscal year 2003-2004 to the Department of Health to match county funds for various emergency helicopter aeromedical services or ambulance services for Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center and the counties of Maui and Hawaii.

Your Committee is cognizant that the rapid response of emergency medical services is critical to positive outcomes for emergency patients. Your Committee finds that the need to provide sufficient emergency medical care to residents of rural areas, particularly on the neighbor islands, is long overdue. Your Committee further finds that funding has been a critical issue in financing the aeromedical services system established in this measure. User fees for emergency medical services are deposited into the general fund, but are not an adequate source of funding the services.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Establishing an emergency medical services special fund for the Department of Health to use in operating the state comprehensive emergency medical services system, including emergency aeromedical services;

(2) Requiring the counties to impose additional fees for motor vehicle registrations;

(3) Requiring the counties to deposit a portion of the additional fees into the special fund;

(4) Requiring that the counties use the remainder of the additional fees for their administrative costs in providing emergency aeromedical services;

(5) Appropriating funds to the Department of Health out of the special fund rather than the general fund;

(6) Changing the year of the appropriation from fiscal year 2003-2004 to fiscal year 2004-2005; and

(7) Eliminating the county matching funds requirement for all appropriations except that for emergency helicopter aeromedical services for the county of Maui.

Your Committee considered various funding sources to provide emergency medical services, and your Committee finds that the best method is to increase the motor vehicle registration fees. Your Committee further finds that there may be a direct nexus between increasing motor vehicle fees and the provision of emergency medical services. For example, the County of Hawaii's Fire Chief noted in his testimony that the County of Hawaii experienced an increase in the number of motor vehicles registered and a corresponding increase in vehicular accidents.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1182, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1182, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair