STAND. COM. REP. NO.  405

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1721

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1721 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VIOLENCE AGAINST EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to protect emergency medical services personnel from harm by adding the commission of violence or the threat of violence against emergency medical services personnel to the offenses of assault in the second degree and terroristic threatening in the first degree.

     The Healthcare Association of Hawaii and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill. 

     Your Committee recognizes that the provision of emergency medical service involves characteristics of both public safety and the medical profession and therefore emergency medical services personnel face a high level of risk in the line of duty.  Other public servants such as police, fire, and bus employees have already been afforded a heightened class of protection to deter violence against them.  Your Committee believes that emergency medical services personnel are entitled to the same level of protection for putting their lives at risk to serve the community.

     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. 1721 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair