STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1818

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: S.B. No. 1340

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1340, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Align Hawaii with national trends and mitigate the unintended consequences associated with the deregulation of Hawaii's emergency medical services system by:

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

(B) Including emergency medical responders in the State's pre-hospital response;

(2) 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 Medical Technicians but who do not provide emergency ambulance services; and

(3) Appropriate funds from the Compliance Resolution Fund for the Hawaii Medical Board to hire an unspecified number of full-time equivalent positions to administer the licensing program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Fire Council, American Medical Response, and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Medical Board.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1340, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair