STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2391

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2163
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services and
Transportation and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was
referred S.B. No. 2163 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AEROMEDICAL SERVICES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require twenty-four-hour
aeromedical emergency medical services for the county of Hawaii.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this
measure from the County of Hawaii Police Department, Emergency
Medical Services Advisory Commission, and a private individual.
Testimony in opposition was received from the Department of
Health (DOH).

     This measure requires the DOH, in establishing standards for
emergency medical services and emergency medical service systems,
to require that aeromedical services for the county of Hawaii be
provided on a twenty-four-hour basis by a permanently assigned
paramedic crew.

     Your Committees find that the Big Island has persistently
lacked aeromedical emergency medical services.  Considering the
geographic expanse, mountainous terrain, and decrepit roads of
the Big Island, an aeromedical emergency service would vastly
improve emergency medical services.  Your Committees have heard
the pleas of the residents of Hawaii for several years for an
aeromedical medical emergency service, and finds the situation to

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2391
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be unacceptable.  Your Committees believe that the State has an
obligation to provide for the health and safety of persons on the
Big Island in a medical emergency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Health and Human Services and Transportation and
Intergovernmental Affairs that are attached to this report, your
Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B.
No. 2163 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Health and Human
                                   Services and Transportation
                                   and Intergovernmental Affairs,



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CAL KAWAMOTO, Chair                SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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