STAND. COM. REP. NO. 315

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1254

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Health and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1254 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to increase the on-call availability of emergency medical services and ambulance services in Ewa Beach.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Honolulu Emergency Services Department, Emergency Medical Services Division, City and County of Honolulu; The Queen's Health Systems; United Public Workers; and one individual.

     Your Committees find that the closure of Hawaii Medical Center hospitals has jeopardized access to emergency medical care for thousands of Oahu residents.  The City and County of Honolulu Emergency Medical Services Division has been burdened with a need to respond to a greater number of emergency calls from Ewa Beach for transport to emergency rooms elsewhere on Oahu, and this increased demand threatens emergency service responders' ability to adequately serve the Ewa Beach community.  Your Committees find it necessary to appropriate funds to the Department of Health to assist the City and County of Honolulu Emergency Medical Services Division with expanding emergency medical services and ambulance services in Ewa Beach.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1254 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair

____________________________ JOSH GREEN, Chair