Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2339, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate additional funds for fiscal year 2005-2006 to enable the Department of Health to meet unexpected increased ambulance service costs.

Your Committee understands that additional funds are required by the Department of Health for fiscal year 2005-2006 to enable it to meet unexpected collective bargaining increases negotiated by ambulance service providers statewide, increases in fuel and other ambulance service operating costs, and increases in workload in contracted ambulance billing and collection services. Additionally, an increase in the expenditure ceiling of the Emergency Medical Services Special Fund is required due to cost increases for contracted ambulance services in the counties of Maui and Kauai.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2339, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2339, S.D. 2.