STAND. COM. REP. NO. 407-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 1975

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1975 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require:

(1) Any county of the State with a population greater than 500,000 to provide emergency medical services in a transparent and fiscally responsible manner; and

(2) Any impacted county to conduct an evaluation regarding the finances and operations of the county's emergency medical services system and submit a report to the Legislature and Department of Health.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that emergency medical services are an essential public health service for Hawaii's visitors and residents. Requiring counties to operate their emergency medical services systems in a transparent and fiscally responsible manner would bring accountability to the operations of the counties' systems and ensure taxpayers' funds are spent appropriately. Your Committee further finds that the cost analysis proposed by this measure is a necessary step toward understanding emergency medical services funding requirements and realities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, 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. 1975, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1975, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair