Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2399 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for an ambulance crew and operating expenses to operate a donated ambulance in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates community.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Health, the Office of Community Services under the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Mayor of the County of Hawaii, a member of the Hawaii County Council, Hawaii County Fire Department, Ocean View Volunteer Fire Department, Ocean View Community Association, Inc., American Medical Response, a paramedic, and several individuals.

Your Committee finds that the residents of Ocean View Estates in the Kau district on the island of Hawaii are geographically isolated, thus tremendously underserved with regard to adequate basic life-saving emergency ambulance services. The need has been a long-standing concern, and the residents were resourceful in securing for themselves an ambulance from the Carrus Foundation in New York.

Your Committee further finds that additional funding to support a crew and operating expenses would benefit many communities in Hawaii and alleviate a gap in the EMS system.

Your Committee has amended this measure to reflect an adequate funding level, and to provide that funding shall also cover operating expenses such as supplies, equipment, and vehicle maintenance.

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 S.B. No. 2399, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2399, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.