STAND. COM. REP. NO.238

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 714

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 714 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR EMERGENCY AMBULANCE SERVICE ON THE ISLAND OF HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an appropriation for emergency advanced life support ambulance service for residents of Hawaiian Ocean View Estates on the island of Hawaii.

Testimony supporting this measure was received from the Department of Health, a member of the Hawaii County Council, Hawaii County Fire Department, Ocean View Volunteer Fire Department, American Heart Association of Hawaii, and four individuals.

Your Committee finds that Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, due to its isolated location, travel time, and geographic distance from appropriate medical services, does not receive adequate emergency medical services. This area experiences unacceptably long and potentially life-threatening delays in response times. One of the primary objectives of state government is to secure the public health and welfare. Your Committee recognizes the existing threat to the health and welfare of residents of Hawaiian Ocean View Estates and believes that the appropriation provided by this measure is necessary to alleviate that threat.

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. 714 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair