STAND. COM. REP. NO. 815

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1006

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1006 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate moneys for the purchase and operational costs of one ambulance unit to service the Kakaako area of Oahu.

     The Department of Health submitted written comments on this measure.

     Your Committee finds that the Kakaako area on Oahu has recently experienced a dramatic increase in population as the area has been revitalized with businesses and residential units.  Accordingly, the amount of calls requesting emergency services in that area has also increased.  The Honolulu City and County Emergency Medical Services currently operates only twenty ground ambulances on Oahu.  Your Committee finds that more emergency support is needed in the area to respond to the increased emergency calls. 

Your Committee notes that, should subsequent Standing Committees decide to hear this measure, the City and County of Honolulu has requested $4,500,000 to be appropriated for fiscal year 2015-2016, and $4,700,000 for fiscal year 2016-2017 for the purposes of this measure.  

Your Committee also requests that subsequent Standing Committees consider using the emergency services special fund as an alternative means of financing for this appropriation, as this measure moves forward, if sufficient moneys are available in that special fund.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making the effective date July 1, 2050, 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 S.B. No. 1006, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1006, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair