STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1178

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   S.B. No. 298

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 298, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to support emergency medical services on the island of Hawaii by appropriating general funds to acquire an advanced life support ambulance to be based in the Makalei area to be used during daily peak hours, and personnel costs for state-certified emergency medical service personnel.

The Council Members of Districts 1, 3, 4, 6, and 8, Hawaii County Council; Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Hawaii; Hawaii Fire Department; Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, Local 1463, AFL-CIO; and several individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Health commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Incorporating the provisions contained in the following bills, which received a public hearing and were heard by the Committee on Health:

(A)   S.B. No. 1016, S.D. 1, which appropriates funds from the Emergency Medical Services Fund to establish an advanced life support ambulance based in Puna on the island of Hawaii and funds personnel costs for state-certified emergency medical services personnel;

(B)   S.B. No. 1006, S.D. 1, which appropriates general funds to purchase an ambulance vehicle and pay the operational costs for one ambulance unit to service the area of Kakaako in the City and County of Honolulu; and

(C)   S.B. No. 1281, S.D. 1, which appropriates general funds to assist the City and County of Honolulu Emergency Medical Services Division with expanding emergency medical services and ambulance services in the Moanalua, Aliamanu, Red Hill, Salt Lake, and Foster Village communities to operate an additional emergency medical service unit;

(2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2112, to facilitate further discussion; and

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee notes that this measure contains provisions specifying that the resources being requested are intended to address the critical needs of the community, specifically during the daily peak hours from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.  Should the Committee on Finance deliberate this measure further, your Committee respectfully requests that it:

(1)  Consider applying the daily peak hour provision to the emergency medical services in the various areas; and

(2)  Consult Emergency Medical Services on the community and resource needs of the respective counties.

     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. 298, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 298, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair