CCR147

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 147

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: S.B. No. 1340

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1340, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Enable the Hawaii Medical Board to issue licenses for emergency medical responders and other emergency ambulance personnel, which shall be based on certain requirements;

(2) Include emergency medical responders in the State's pre-hospital response; and

(3) Require the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to examine a potential additional licensure category for emergency medical technicians who have received certain certification from the National Registry of Emergency Technicians but do not provide emergency ambulance services.

Your Committee on Conference finds that there is currently no licensure category for emergency medical technicians who only have National Registry Emergency Medical Technician certification. However, these emergency medical technicians, which include firefighters and ocean safety lifeguards, provide life-saving care with minimal equipment to critical care patients. This measure establishes licensure for emergency medical technicians who only have National Registry Emergency Medical Technician certification.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing the amendment to the definition of "emergency medical services personnel" in section 321-222, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Amending chapter 453, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by adding a new section that:

(A) Requires the Hawaii Medical Board to issue licenses in four levels of emergency response practice, provided the practice is performed in a county with a population of 500,000 or greater;

(B) Requires the Hawaii Medical Board to accept license applications for a new class of license designated Emergency Medical Technician 1; and

(3) Removing the issuance of emergency medical responder certifications and replacing it with emergency medical services licenses;

(4) Removing the provision authorizing applications for emergency medical responder licenses;

(5) Removing the requirement that the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs examine the possibility of an additional category of emergency medical technician license;

(6) Inserting an appropriation amount of $31,000 out of the compliance resolution fund for the hiring of a 0.5 full-time equivalent (0.5 FTE) permanent position;

(7) Amending section 1 of the measure to reflect its amended purpose;

(8) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2021;

(9) Inserting a repeal date of July 1, 2027; and

(10) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1340, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1340, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE Co-Chair		____________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE Chair
____________________________ LISA KITAGAWA Co-Chair		____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER Co-Chair
____________________________ ADRIAN K. TAM Co-Chair