STAND. COM. REP. NO. 401

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 390

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 390 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to repeal the sunset date of section 2 of Act 119, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021 (Act 119), 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 received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Medical Board.

Your Committee finds that emergency medical technicians are a vital part of a comprehensive emergency medical services system response and includes firefighters and ocean safety lifeguards who provide immediate life-saving interventions to patients but do not provide emergency ambulance services. Your Committee also finds that emergency medical technicians with National Registry Emergency Medical Technician certification 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 the arrival of additional emergency medical services. However, until the enactment of Act 119, state law relating to the licensing or certification of emergency medical personnel addressed only emergency ambulance personnel and had no licensure category for emergency medical technicians with National Registry Emergency Medical Technician certification only. This measure repeals Act 119's July 1, 2027, sunset date and makes permanent the authority given to the Hawaii Medical Board to certify emergency medical technicians with National Registry Emergency Medical Technician certification.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 390 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

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

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair