STAND. COM. REP. NO. 715

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1340

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 1340, S.D. 1, 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 enable the Hawaii Medical Board to certify emergency medical responders other than emergency ambulance service personnel.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Public Safety, HDOT Airport Firefighters, and two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from American Medical Response and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Medical Board and one individual.

Your Committee finds that emergency medical responders are a vital part of a comprehensive emergency medical services system response. However, under existing law, there is no certification or licensure category for emergency medical responders, only emergency ambulance service personnel. This measure, as currently drafted, aligns the certification for emergency medical technicians in Hawaii with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

Your Committee notes, however, that there has been a national trend toward licensure of emergency medical responders and other emergency ambulance personnel. Additionally, certain fire and ocean safety first responders have expressed an interest in licensure, rather than certification, to recognize the importance of the services they provide to the emergency medical services system. Not all emergency medical technicians are trained equally and due to the unintended consequences associated with the deregulation of Hawaii's emergency medical services system, staffing shortages, and the risks of opening the industry to unlicensed providers, a more comprehensive licensing structure is needed. Therefore, amendments to this measure are necessary to address these concerns.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2) Inserting language authorizing the Hawaii Medical Board to issue licenses, upon proper proof of certain credentials, consistent with the following levels of practice:

(A) Emergency medical responder;

(B) Emergency medical technician;

(C) Advanced emergency medical technician; or

(D) Mobile intensive care technician or paramedic;

(3) Authorizing the Hawaii Medical Board to approve provisional licensure in certain circumstances;

(4) Authorizing the Hawaii Medical Board to approve limited provisional licensure, in certain circumstances; and

(5) 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 and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1340, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1340, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair