STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2642

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3248

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 3248 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AMBULANCES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Health to purchase one advanced life support ambulance to be based on the island of Molokai, and related equipment, and pay related personnel costs for state-certified emergency medical services personnel.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one member of the Maui County Council, American Medical Response, Kauai Paramedics Association, The Queen's Health Systems, and twenty-seven individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that currently, the island of Molokai has only one ambulance providing emergency medical services to residents. Providing timely response to a 911 call is critical to increasing the likelihood of successful outcomes for injured or sick individuals. Adding another advanced life support ambulance would provide better on-island emergency coverage and decrease the time needed to transport medical professionals responding to emergencies on the island. This measure appropriates funds to the Department of Health to purchase one advance life support ambulance for the island of Molokai and for related equipment and personnel costs.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting a blank appropriation amount; and

(2) Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3248, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3248, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair