Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2446 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide financial support to The Queen's Medical Center to ensure that it remains ready to serve the entire community in time of disaster.

Specifically, the bill appropriates $11,000,000 out of the hurricane reserve trust fund for the purpose of providing a grant to The Queen's Medical Center so that it may purchase emergency power generating equipment to achieve its maximum power use capacity of six thousand kilowatts.

The Queen's Medical Center testified in support of this bill. The state Department of Defense fully supports the intent of the bill, with amendments. The Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund opposed this bill.

Your Committee finds that the recent tragic events in New Orleans and the surrounding Gulf Coast caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita reinforce the urgency of ensuring that the emergency medical caregivers of this State are provided with sufficient facilities and energy capacity to withstand a massive medical emergency.

Your Committee further finds that The Queen's Medical Center is the only medical facility in the State with a trauma center that is certified by the American College of Surgeons. However, The Queen's Medical Center currently lacks sufficient energy generators and structural capability to withstand the wind force of a category five hurricane.

Your Committee also notes the concern that all hospitals in the State should be equipped to some degree with emergency generators.

Your Committee has amended the measure by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2446, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2446, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.