STAND. COM. REP. NO. 397

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1675

       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 Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1675 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to increase survival rates from cardiac arrest in Hawaii by encouraging the use of automated external defibrillators.

     This measure accomplishes this goal by updating existing law by changing "automatic" to "automated".  In addition, it establishes Good Samaritan limited immunity for rescuers and program facilitators and removes the requirement for physician approval or involvement in the administration of automated external defibrillators.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health.  The American Heart Association submitted testimony in support of the intent of this measure with recommended amendments.

     Your Committee finds that every minute counts in the emergency response to an individual suffering from cardiac arrest.  Automated external defibrillators have been developed that enable a shorter response time for first responders and the public.  Your Committee further finds that removing physician involvement from the requirement for automated external defibrillator programs will encourage more businesses to implement the program.

     Your Committee has adopted the recommendations of the American Heart Association and amended this measure by deleting the training requirement for persons who use an automated external defibrillator.  Your Committee further amended this measure by:

     (1)  Leaving physicians in the measure as in the original statute, in order to provide physicians with liability protection if they volunteer their services to assist a non-profit organization; and

     (2)  Amending other sections of law in which the term "automatic external defibrillators" appears to reflect the change in terminology from "automatic" to "automated".

     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 S.B. No. 1675, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1675, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair