STAND. COM. REP. NO. 962

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1537

       H.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1537, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to encourage the education and use of automated external defibrillators by exempting persons or employers who provide automated external defibrillator training programs from vicarious liability for civil damages.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, the Automated External Defibrillators Institute, and the American Heart Association.

     Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will increase the implementation of automated external defibrillators and lead to greater survival rates from cardiac arrest in Hawaii.

     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. 1537, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair