STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1907-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2017

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 2017, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to repeal existing law that limits licensure as an Emergency Medical Technician 1 to individuals whose practice is performed in a county with a population of five hundred thousand or greater.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Fire Council, Hawaii Medical Board, Maui Fire Department, and Honolulu Fire Department.

Your Committee finds that the purpose of Act 119, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021 (Act 119), was to establish a licensure category for emergency medical technicians who only have a National Registry Emergency Medical Technician certification. These emergency medical technicians provide life-saving care with minimal equipment to critical care patients. However, Act 119 limited the new licensure category only to counties with a population of 500,000 or greater, which excluded persons who meet the criteria for licensure in counties with a smaller population. This measure will allow persons who meet the criteria for licensure in such counties to be properly licensed by the Hawaii Medical Board by eliminating the geographic restriction.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2017, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2017, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair