STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2097

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 3074

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 3074 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 comply with negotiated collective bargaining increases in fiscal year 2008 and maintain emergency ambulance services to meet public need.

     Specifically, this measure makes an emergency appropriation in the amount of $1,807,539 for the Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention System Branch of the Department of Health.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health.

     Your Committee finds that the State provides emergency ambulance services for Oahu through a contractual arrangement with the City and County of Honolulu.  The City and County of Honolulu Emergency Services Department employs personnel represented by United Public Workers, Unit 1 and Unit 10, and Hawaii Government Employees Association, Unit 3 and Unit 13, for the collective bargaining of salaries and employee benefits.  Your Committee finds that this emergency appropriation is necessary to comply with the collective bargaining increases and to ensure public safety and ambulance services.

     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. 3074 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair