Bill > HB784

This bill addresses emergency medical services on the island of Hawaii, specifically focusing on establishing an additional advanced life support ambulance in the Makalei area of North Kona. The legislature recognizes significant healthcare access challenges in the region, where primary care services can be up to thirty miles away and many residents rely on emergency medical services as their primary healthcare access point. The bill appropriates funds from the state's general revenues to cover the operational and personnel costs of the new ambulance, including expenses for state-certified emergency medical service personnel. The legislation is motivated by the need to reduce potential death and disability, improve emergency response times, and accommodate the island's growing and aging population. The bill specifies that the Department of Health will manage the ambulance service funding for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, with the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation also receiving appropriations for related personnel and current expenses. While the bill mentions an effective date of July 1, 2050, this seems unusually far in the future and might be a typographical error.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=784&year=2025