Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2481 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to allow the Department of Health (DOH) to include emergency aeromedical services as part of the state comprehensive emergency medical services system, subject to the availability of funding.

DOH and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill. A concerned individual supported this measure with amendments.

Your Committee finds that arrangements for emergency aeromedical services differ by island, and depend on the availability of resources. There is a need to ensure that people have access to specialized emergency care, regardless of their island of residence.

Your Committee believes that DOH should be required to ensure that emergency aeromedical services are available to the entire state, but understands that each county's emergency services are operated differently. While DOH should be responsible for the overall emergency medical services system, DOH may not always be the appropriate body to maintain an aeromedical emergency medical services system.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2481, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2481, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.