Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 684, H.D. 1, entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation of additional general funds for fiscal year 2004-2005 to pay for ambulance service contract collective bargaining costs.

The Department of Health, a member of the Maui County Council, American Medical Response, the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, and two individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure.

Your Committees find that this emergency appropriation is necessary for the Department of Health to comply with collective bargaining increases negotiated by ambulance service providers statewide. The State provides emergency ambulance services through contractual arrangement with the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii County, and a private provider, American Medical Response, for the counties of Maui and Kauai. This measure assures that continued emergency ambulance services are available at the current level of service throughout communities statewide.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 684, H.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.