CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 37

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 390

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 390, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to repeal the sunset date of section 2 of Act 119, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021 (Act 119), thereby making permanent:

(1) The requirement that the Hawaii Medical Board issue licenses in four levels of emergency response practice in counties with a population of five hundred thousand or greater; and

(2) The creation of an additional licensure category for Emergency Medical Technicians 1, who are certified at a higher practice level than Emergency Medical Technicians but do not provide ambulance services.

Your Committee on Conference finds that Emergency Medical Technicians certified by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians provide on-the-scene, lifesaving care to critical care patients. However, until the enactment of Act 119, state law relating to the licensing or certification of emergency medical personnel contained no licensure category for Emergency Medical Technicians whose sole certification is that from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. Act 119, which temporarily established an additional licensure category for these Emergency Medical Technicians, is scheduled to sunset on July 1, 2027. This measure repeals this sunset date, thereby making permanent the authority given to the Hawaii Medical Board to license Emergency Medical Technicians, in recognition of their vital role in the comprehensive emergency medical system.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2023.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 390, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 390, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI Co-Chair	____________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO Chair
____________________________ JACKSON D. SAYAMA Co-Chair	____________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE Co-Chair