STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1589

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 152

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.R. No. 152 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONDUCT A STUDY ON THE STATE COMPREHENSIVE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY ISSUES AND PROBLEMS AND PROPOSE INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE THE SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Health to conduct a study of the State Comprehensive Emergency Medical Services System to identify issues and problems and propose initiatives to improve the system.

Your Committee did not receive any testimony on this measure.

Your Committee finds the State Comprehensive Emergency Medical Services System ensures the effective and coordinated delivery of health care services under emergency conditions. To achieve this, the State Comprehensive Emergency Medical Services System provides personnel, personnel training, emergency transportation, facilities, coordination with emergency medical and critical care services, mandatory standard medical recordkeeping, consumer information and education, independent review and evaluation, and disaster linkage among other services. Your Committee further finds that, like any large and complex system, it takes constant attention to ensure system cohesiveness, diagnose system weaknesses, and implement improvements. For this reason, the Department of Health is requested to conduct a study on the State Comprehensive Emergency Medical Services System to identify issues and problems and propose initiatives to improve the system.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Updating the findings to acknowledge the upcoming National Highway Traffic Safety Administration review of the state system;

(2) Requesting the Department of Health to include in its report to the Legislature an update regarding the outcome of the National Highway Traffic Safety statewide review; and

(3) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 152, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 152, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

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ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair