STAND. COM. REP. NO. 346-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 2376

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2376 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM BRANCH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide critical emergency funding to meet emergency medical services expenses by:

(1) Appropriating a total of $7,154,735 for fiscal year 2005-2006 for various unexpected collective bargaining agreement costs, increases in fuel and other ambulance services operating costs, and contract ambulance billing and collection costs; and

(2) Authorizing and appropriating an increase of $441,721 in the Emergency Medical Services Special Fund (Special Fund) for fiscal year 2005-2006 to be used for increased costs in contract ambulance services for the counties of Maui and Kauai, and for payment of the Central Service Assessment and department administrative expenses.

The Department of Health, Honolulu Emergency Services Department, and a concerned individual supported this bill.

 

 

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation amount to $5 for various unexpected collective bargaining agreement costs, increases in fuel and other ambulance services operating costs, and contract ambulance billing and collection costs, to encourage further discussion;

(2) Changing the authorization and appropriation increase for the Special Fund to $1 to facilitate further discussion; and

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

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. 2376, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2376, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair