STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1173

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1372

       H.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1372, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AND INJURY PREVENTION SYSTEM BRANCH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure the rapid aeromedical evacuation of high risk patients from rural areas on Oahu to an advanced care medical center.

     Specifically, this measure makes an emergency appropriation to cover costs for the fiscal year 2006-2007 costs associated with providing emergency aeromedical transportation services on Oahu.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, the State Department of Defense, and the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that aeromedical services constitute a critical component of the continuum of health care.  These services are currently being provided by an active-duty Army unit recently transferred to Hawaii from Alaska under an inter-agency agreement with the Hawaii Army National Guard.

     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. 1372, H.D. 1, 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,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair