STAND. COM. REP. NO.  160

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1410

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1410 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to transfer the responsibility for regulation and operation of ambulance services from the Department of Health to the respective counties.  This measure also authorizes the counties to expend a portion of Transient Accommodations Tax revenues to fund these services.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Chair, Vice Chair, and a member of the Maui County Council, American Medical Response, Kauai Paramedics Association, and several individuals.  The Department of Health and Honolulu Emergency Services Department, Emergency Medical Services Division submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Limiting the transfer of regulatory and operational authority for ambulance services to the counties by: 

          (A)  Directing the Department of Health to establish and report to the Legislature on a two-year pilot program to operate from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2021, that permits county regulation and operation of ambulance service in the County of Hawaii and the City and County of Honolulu and preserves the Department's statewide systems for billing, communications, and medical records and to submit a report to the Legislature;

          (B)  Making an unspecified general fund appropriation for the pilot program; and

          (C)  Making county authority to expend Transient Accommodations Tax revenues for ambulance services discretionary and for the purpose of supplementing existing ambulance services;

     (2)  Adding language originally contained in House Bill No. 1105, which was also considered by your Committee at the same public hearing as this measure, to:

          (A)  Repeal the Emergency Medical Services Special Fund and redirect the Special Fund's revenue sources, which are the cigarette tax, motor vehicle registration fee, and investment pool returns, to the general fund; and

          (B)  Appropriate general funds in an amount equal to the Special Fund revenues for fiscal year 2015-2016 to the Department of Health for purposes of overseeing the statewide comprehensive emergency medical system with no discernable disruptions;

     (3)  Adding language originally contained in House Bill No. 216, which was considered by your Committee at a public hearing on January 31, 2017, to implement the recommendations of the working group convened pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution No. 90, Regular Session of 2016, by:

          (A)  Directing the Department of Health to develop and implement a three-year community paramedic services pilot program and submit a report on the program to the Legislature; and

          (B)  Providing an unspecified general fund appropriation;

     (4)  Directing the Department of Health to solicit the participation of and consult with members of the working group and representatives of the health insurance, emergency medicine, and health care industries in developing and implementing the pilot program;

     (5)  Making nonsubstantive technical amendments for the purpose of clarity and consistency; and

     (6)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2090, to encourage further discussion.

     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. 1410, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1410, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair