STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1477

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1372

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1372, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate additional funds for emergency aeromedical services on Oahu.

     Specifically, this measure makes an emergency appropriation of $1,900,000 in general funds for fiscal year 2006-2007 to the Department of Health to cover the reimbursement costs associated with the delivery of service by the Hawaii Army National Guard in providing emergency aeromedical services that were previously provided by the United States Army.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the Department of Defense and the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that aeromedical services are a critical component of emergency medical care in Hawaii.  Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its contents and inserting S.B. No. 1458 S.D.1, which appropriates $493,684 in general funds for fiscal year 2006-2007, to reimburse costs associated with the delivery of service by the Hawaii Army National Guard or other provider.

     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 H.B. No. 1372, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1372, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair