STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1168_______

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: S.B. No. 1504
                                     S.D. 1
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No.
1504, S.D. 1, entitled: 

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide additional emergency
medical services (EMS) in rural areas by appropriating funds for
EMS within four communities of the City and County of Honolulu.

     A City Council member and two individuals submitted
testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Health
(DOH) submitted testimony in support of the intent of this
measure.

     Your Committee finds that funding is needed to develop EMS
quick response units that are integrated with ambulance units.
This integration has been successful in many high performance EMS
systems across the country because of the ability to rapidly
respond to life threatening medical emergencies.  This measure,
as received, does not specify that the appropriations will be
used to develop EMS quick response units.  Therefore, your
Committee has amended this measure by adding a findings section
to describe the purpose and intent of this measure.


 
 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1168_______
                                 Page 2

 
     Your Committee has also amended this measure by rearranging
the provisions to reflect the funding priorities based on EMS
needs:

     (1)  Greater Honolulu -  High unit hour utilization;

     (2)  Makakilo-Kapolei -  Inadequate back-up coverage;

     (3)  Kahaluu-Kaaawa -    Inadequate back-up coverage; and

     (4)  Waianae-Nanakuli -  Inadequate back-up coverage and
                              response times not meeting
                              established standards.

     Although it is the intent to prioritize these communities
according to need, which has been based upon meeting set
criteria, your Committee would like to give DOH the flexibility
to redesignate the moneys and respond to communities that are
ready for additional EMS should the higher priorities be
incapable of additional EMS.

     Other technical, nonsubstantive amendments have been made
for purposes of clarity and style.

     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.
1504, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1504, S.D.
1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair