STAND. COM. REP. NO. 880

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 319

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 319, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE RECOGNITION OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL LICENSURE INTERSTATE COMPACT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a working group to study the feasibility and effects of the State adopting the Recognition of Emergency Medical Services Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact and require a report to the Legislature.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the United States Department of Defense and Hawaii Association of Health Plans. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Medical Board and Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Your Committees find that the State is facing a severe health care worker shortage. Not only does Hawaii need additional physicians and nurses, but the State needs more emergency medical services personnel, such as emergency medical technicians (EMTs), advanced EMTs, and paramedics. Moreover, the need for emergency personnel is just as urgent for rural and neighbor island communities. Certain emergency proclamations issued during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic demonstrated the need to embrace license portability to make it easier for certain medical professionals to work in other states. Hawaii's adoption of the Emergency Medical Services Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact may offer a potential solution to eliminate unnecessary regulatory barriers and increase the number of qualified emergency medical services personnel in the State. Therefore, this measure establishes a working group to study the feasibility and potential effectiveness of Hawaii's adoption of the Emergency Medical Services Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 319, S.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means,

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

________________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair