Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2884, H.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve emergency health care for residents and visitors of the Haiku region of Maui by providing twenty-four hour advanced life support ambulance service in that region.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Mayor of Maui County, the Haiku Community Association, and three individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to the measure from the Department of Health and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the Haiku region of Maui is in dire need of advanced life support ambulance service. The closest ambulance service is ninety miles away. This unnecessarily long wait endangers the health of the residents and visitors of Haiku.

Your Committee further finds that a twelve-hour advanced life support ambulance service would support the Haiku region by offsetting the overburdened ambulance services in nearby regions.

Accordingly, you Committee amended this measure by including a blank appropriation amount for a twelve-hour advanced life support ambulance service.

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. 2884, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2884, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.