STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3498

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1874

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1874, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to establish a rapid response emergency medical services unit for the County of Kauai.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from Hawaii Pacific Health, American Medical Response Kauai, Kauai Paramedics Association, American Medical Response in Hawaii, Wilcox Memorial Hospital, Kauai Paramedics Association, Kauai Fire Department, and fourteen individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the last time a new rapid response or ambulance unit was added to the County of Kauai was in 1992.  Your Committee believes that an additional rapid response unit for Kauai will reduce emergency personnel response times and improve patient outcomes.

Your Committee requests that, as this measure moves through the legislative process, the Department of Health consult with the County of Kauai to provide the appropriation amount required by this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2075, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1874, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1874, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair