STAND. COM. REP. NO. 356-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2508

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 Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2508 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a Statewide Air Medical Services Program within the Department of Health to provide governance, coordination, oversight, quality improvement, and disaster readiness for the State's emergency aeromedical and interfacility air medical transport services.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Emergency Medical Services & Injury Prevention System Branch, Department of Health; Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency; Hawaii Medical Association; AlohaCare; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that air medical services are an essential component of Hawaii's health care delivery system, emergency medical systems of care, and overall health care infrastructure. Due to Hawaii's geographic isolation, multi-island structure, rural and remote communities, and limited access to specialty and tertiary care on neighbor islands, timely access to emergency air medical and interfacility air medical transport is critical to ensuring equitable, lifesaving care for residents and visitors across the State. Your Committee further finds that in Hawaii, air medical transport is not a supplemental service; it is a foundational element of emergency response, trauma care, stroke care, cardiac care, and disaster preparedness.

Your Committee also finds that while the demand for emergency and interfacility air medical transport has increased, the State lacks permanent, dedicated resources to comprehensively monitor, manage, coordinate, and develop this critical component of the emergency medical services system. Convened pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 86, Regular Session of 2025, the Air Medical Working Group concluded that Hawaii requires a formalized governance structure and designated staffing. This measure implements the conclusion of the Air Medical Working Group by establishing the Statewide Air Medical Services Program to provide statewide oversight, coordination, performance monitoring, quality improvement, and disaster readiness for air medical services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Exempting the positions established by this measure from Chapter 76, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

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

(3) 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 Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2508, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2508, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair