STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1050

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2021

 

RE:   S.B. No. 1340

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 1340, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to enable the Hawaii Medical Board to license emergency ambulance service personnel and other emergency medical responders.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Transportation, American Medical Response, and six individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the State Fire Council and Honolulu Fire Department.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Medical Board.

 

Your Committee finds that emergency medical responders provide at-the-scene, life-saving care with minimal equipment to critical care patients and have the knowledge and skills necessary to provide immediate interventions while awaiting arrival of additional emergency medical services.  However, existing law only provides for certification of emergency ambulance service personnel and does not provide for licensure or certification of emergency medical responders.  This measure aligns the State's existing laws for licensure of emergency medical technicians with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requiring the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to examine the possibility of the creation of an additional licensure category for emergency medical technicians who have received certification from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians at a higher level of practice than emergency medical responders but who do not provide emergency ambulance services;

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1340, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1340, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair