STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1281

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1410

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1410, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to repeal the emergency medical services special fund and to appropriate general funds to the Department of Health for the state comprehensive emergency medical services system and for community paramedic services.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the County of Hawaii, County of Hawaii Fire Department, and one individual.  The Department of Health submitted comments in support of part I of the measure.

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the County of Maui County Council; the Tax Foundation of Hawaii; and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that the partnership between the counties and the State Emergency Management System has worked well.  This measure will sustain that partnership by ensuring that it is provided a stable means of financing, rather than through the declining revenues of the emergency medical services special fund.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by correcting statutory formatting errors.

     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. 1410, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1410, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair