STAND. COM. REP. NO. 584

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 1178

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1178 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to ensure that adequate emergency medical services are available on Oahu.

Specifically, this measure provides funding for the following:

(1) Additional ambulance services in the Waianae-Nanakuli, Kahaluu-Kaaawa, and primary urban center areas of Oahu; and

(2) An additional third shift of ambulance service at the Makakilo ambulance unit.

Your Committee finds that adequate emergency medical services are needed on Oahu to ensure that there are resources to provide for the health needs of residents in an acceptable, timely manner. Currently, there are sixteen ambulances to handle eighty-one thousand calls for emergency medical service on Oahu. Your Committee finds that while new emergency medical services are being implemented in the metro-Honolulu, Nanakuli, and Kaaawa areas through a 2004 appropriation to the Emergency Medical Services Special Fund, additional funding and study is still needed to meet the emergency medical needs for the Makakilo, Mililani, Mililani Mauka, and Waipio Gentry areas.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending section 1 to reflect the amendment made to the appropriation in section 2 of the bill;

(2) Amending section 2 of the bill by deleting the appropriation for additional ambulance services in the Waianae-Nanakuli, Kahaluu-Kaaawa, and primary urban areas of Oahu;

(3) Adding the following appropriations as Parts II and III, respectively:

(A) From H.B. No. 1153, a grant-in-aid to the City and County of Honolulu to study the need, cost, and placement site for a permanent emergency medical services hub for the Mililani and Waipio Gentry areas on Oahu; and

(B) From H.B. No. 282, an appropriation for the Emergency Medical Services Special Fund and an appropriation to establish a twenty-four hour, seven days a week, rapid response emergency medical services unit for Mililani and Mililani Mauka; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity.

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 H.B. No. 1178, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1178, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair