STAND. COM. REP. NO. 658-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2059

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 2059 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Exempt emergency medical services personnel from commercial driver's license requirements; and

(2) Amend the definition of "authorized emergency vehicle" under the State Traffic Code to replace "ambulances" with "emergency medical services vehicles".

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation; Department of Human Resources for the City and County of Honolulu; Honolulu Emergency Services Department; and United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that emergency medical services personnel play a vital role in protecting public health and safety. These personnel already undergo comprehensive government-approved training to operate emergency vehicles safely, yet commercial driver's license requirements create delays in hiring and impose additional burdens not required of other first responders. By exempting qualified emergency medical services personnel from commercial driver's license requirements and updating the definition of "authorized emergency vehicle" to reflect modern emergency operations, this measure promotes consistency across first responder agencies, enhances operational flexibility, and strengthens the State's overall emergency response capacity.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring federal, state, and county government agencies to maintain proof that personnel have successfully completed approved training on authorized emergency vehicles;

(2) Amending the definition of "authorized emergency vehicle" to include disaster response and recovery vehicles, Department of Health vehicles, and other vehicles designated as authorized emergency vehicles by the State or an emergency management agency;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2059, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2059, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation,

____________________________

DARIUS KILA, Chair