STAND. COM. REP. NO. 476

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 791

S.D. 1

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. 791 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AMBULANCES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Health to purchase one advanced life support ambulance and related equipment, and pay costs for state-certified emergency medical services personnel, to be based on the island of Molokai.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from The Queen's Health System, American Medical Response, Maui County Paramedics Association and ten individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that Molokai's growing community needs expanded ambulance services. Due to its unique geographic area, an additional ambulance will increase response times to help provide necessary care. Your Committee notes the testimony of the Department of Health, which estimates that although this measure, as currently written, contains an appropriation for $1,500,000, due to annual cost-of-living increases, an estimated $1,600,000 would actually be needed to implement this measure. Your Committee requests that your Committee on Ways and Means, should it hear this measure, examine the issue raised by the Department of Health.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting a blank appropriation amount.

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. 791, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 791, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair