STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3414

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2236

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2236, H.D. 2, 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:

(1) Require and appropriate funds for the Department of Health to work with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, or other qualified entity, to conduct a comprehensive study of the state emergency medical system workforce;

(2) Require and appropriate funds for the Department of Health to conduct a comprehensive cost analysis of the state emergency medical system;

(3) Require the Auditor to conduct a comprehensive management audit of the Emergency Medical Services Department of the City and County of Honolulu; and

(4) Appropriate funds for collective bargaining increases and other current expenses.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO; and American Medical Response. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the Auditor and Honolulu Emergency Services Department of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Health is responsible for administering and maintaining the comprehensive state emergency medical service system, or state emergency medical system. Administration of the system by a state agency ensures that all emergency services, including ground and air ambulance services conducted by or under the authorization of the Department of Health or any county, are following existing law. Therefore, to fulfill the duties of the emergency medical services system, it is imperative that the state emergency medical system effectively provides emergency services.

Your Committee notes that H.B. No. 1975, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, (Regular Session of 2020), is a similar measure that, among other things, evaluates the finances and operations of emergency medical services systems in the State for the purposes of transparency and fiscal responsibility.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting part I of the measure, which:

(A) Requires and appropriates funds for the Department of Health to work with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, or other qualified entity, to conduct a comprehensive study of the state emergency medical system workforce;

(B) Requires and appropriates funds for the Department of Health to conduct a comprehensive cost analysis of the state emergency medical system; and

(C) Requires the Auditor to conduct a comprehensive management audit of the Emergency Medical Services Department of the City and County of Honolulu; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments 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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2236, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2236, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair