Bill > HB2508

This bill establishes the Statewide Air Medical Services Program within the Department of Health's Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention System Branch to better coordinate and oversee air medical transport services across Hawaii, which are crucial due to the state's geography and limited access to specialized care on neighbor islands. The program will be led by a state air medical director (a physician), a program manager, and a coordinator, all of whom will be permanent positions exempt from standard civil service rules. This program will be responsible for statewide clinical governance, developing policies and protocols, coordinating transport services to improve timeliness and access, overseeing quality improvement programs, and supporting disaster preparedness. Air medical providers will be required to cooperate with these statewide efforts as a condition of their licensure. To fund these operations, the department will establish and collect annual licensure and accreditation fees from air medical providers, which will be deposited into the Emergency Medical Services Special Fund to cover the program's administrative costs, oversight, quality initiatives, and data reporting. This fund will also be used for emergency management coordination functions.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2508&year=2026