STAND. COM. REP. 928

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1360

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1360, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill, which applies to situations where in-the-field emergency response personnel provide medical services to an individual whose heart or breathing has stopped, is to allow an individual, or their guardian, agent, or surrogate, to make healthcare decisions on behalf of the individual with regard to the withholding of cardiac resuscitation and artificial breathing, and implementation of "comfort care only-do not resuscitate" protocols.

In addition, this bill repeals the provision that a person's physician certify in a written "comfort care only" document that the person is a terminally ill patient of that physician for purposes of uniform methods of identification under emergency medical services rules.

The Department of Health, a councilmember of the County of Maui, Compassion in Dying of Hawaii, and the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs supported this bill. The Christian Science Committee on Publication for Hawaii supported the intent of this bill.

Upon further review, your Committee has amended this bill by deleting its contents and inserting provisions to provide funding for emergency medical services. As amended, this bill appropriates undetermined funds for emergency medical services at the following:

(1) Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center;

(2) Hana Community Hospital;

(3) Molokai General Hospital; and

(4) Kahuku Hospital.

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. 1360, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1360, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

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

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair