RELATING TO AMBULANCES.

Budget Healthcare Labor

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: WOODSON, AMATO, GARCIA, HUSSEY, ILAGAN, KAHALOA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KILA, KUSCH, LEE, M., MARTEN, MATSUMOTO, MORIKAWA, MURAOKA, OLDS, PERRUSO, POEPOE, REYES ODA, SOUZA, TAKENOUCHI
Last action: 2026-03-30
Official status: Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify the exact amount of money being appropriated.

Funding Ambulance Services in Maui

This bill appropriates funds to purchase an advanced life support ambulance and related equipment for central Maui, fund pay-related personnel costs for emergency medical services workers there, and improve the predictability and stability of air ambulance services across all islands.

What This Bill Does

Appropriates money from the state budget to buy one advanced life support ambulance and its necessary equipment for central Maui.
Funds pay-related expenses for state-certified emergency medical service personnel in central Maui.
Increases predictability and stability of air ambulance services across all Hawaiian islands.

Who It Names or Affects

Residents and visitors in central Maui who need urgent medical care.
Emergency medical services personnel working in central Maui.
People across all Hawaiian islands needing air ambulance services.

Terms To Know

Advanced Life Support Ambulance: An ambulance equipped with advanced medical equipment and staffed by highly trained emergency medical technicians to provide critical care during transport.
Emergency Medical Services Personnel: Medical professionals who respond to emergencies, such as paramedics and EMTs (emergency medical technicians).

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact amount of money being appropriated.
It is unclear how the improvements in air ambulance services will be implemented.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment allocates funds to purchase an advanced life support ambulance and related equipment in central Maui, along with personnel costs, and aims to improve air ambulance services statewide.

Allocates money for purchasing one advanced life support ambulance and necessary equipment for central Maui.
Funds pay-related expenses for state-certified emergency medical staff in central Maui.
Aims to enhance the stability of air ambulance services across all islands.

The exact amount of funds appropriated is not specified.
The amendment's effective date (July 1, 3000) seems incorrect and likely contains an error.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: This amendment appropriates funds to purchase an advanced life support ambulance in central Maui and improve air ambulance services statewide.

Appropriates money from the state's general revenues for purchasing one advanced life support ambulance and related equipment for central Maui.
Funds pay-related costs for emergency medical personnel who will operate the new ambulance.
Increases predictability and stability of air ambulance services across all islands in Hawaii.

The exact amount of funds appropriated is not specified, only that it is 'so much thereof as may be necessary'.

Bill History

2026-03-30 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2026-03-30 S
Reported from HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3300) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2026-03-23 S
The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HHS were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, McKelvey, Kanuha, Keohokalole, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-03-20 S
The committee(s) on HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 03-23-26 1:40PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2026-03-10 S
Referred to HHS, WAM.
2026-03-10 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-10 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 192).
2026-03-06 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Perruso, Quinlan, Sayama excused (3). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 976-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-03 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 16 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-02-27 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Tuesday, 03-03-26 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-18 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-02-18 H
Reported from HLT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 351-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-13 H
The committee on HLT recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Amato, Hartsfield, Marten, Olds, Takenouchi, Alcos, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-02-10 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HLT on Friday, 02-13-26 9:00AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-30 H
Referred to HLT, FIN, referral sheet 5
2026-01-28 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-26 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO AMBULANCES.
Emergency Medical Services; Advanced Life Support Ambulance; Central Maui; Statewide Air Ambulance Network System; Department of Health; Appropriation ($)
Appropriates funds to the Department of Health to purchase one advanced life support ambulance and related equipment to be based in central Maui, fund pay-related personnel costs for state-certified emergency medical services personnel, and increase the predictability and stability of available air ambulance services for all islands in the State. Effective 1/31/2050. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2173

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2173

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating
to Ambulances
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that it is of
critical importance to the State to ensure its residents have prompt access to
primary health care.
�
The legislature
further finds that in the county of Maui, ambulance services are being provided
through a private contract with American Medical Response with state funding,
and that a total of nine ambulances are based at various state, county, and
private facilities throughout the county -� specifically, one unit each in east
Maui, Kahului, and Wailuku, and two units each in south Maui, west Maui, and
upcountry Maui.

����
The
legislature also finds that there has been significant population growth in
central Maui, and therefore, residents in the area would greatly benefit from
the addition of an advanced life support ambulance.
�
The legislature further finds that an
advanced life support ambulance will help reduce death and disability among
residents and visitors to central Maui by providing timely responses to 911
calls, which is critical to increasing the likelihood of successful outcomes
for injured or sick individuals.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to:

����
(1)
�
Purchase one advanced life support ambulance
and related equipment to be based in the central Maui area of the county of
Maui and fund pay-related personnel costs for state-certified emergency medical
services personnel; and

����
(2)
�
Increase the predictability and stability of
available air ambulance services for all islands in the State.

����
SECTION
2.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of
$ or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the purchase of one
advanced life support ambulance and related equipment to be based in the
central Maui area of the county of Maui, and to fund pay-related personnel
costs for one state-certified emergency medical technician and one
state-certified paramedic.

����
The sum
appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of
this Act.

����
SECTION
3.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of
$ or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to increase the
predictability and stability of available air ambulance services for all
islands in the State.

����
The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the
department of health for the purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Emergency
Medical Services; Advanced Life Support Ambulance; Central Maui; Statewide Air
Ambulance
Network System;
Department
of Health; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds to the Department of Health to purchase
of one advanced life support ambulance and related equipment to be based in
central Maui, fund pay-related personnel costs for state-certified emergency
medical services personnel, and increase the predictability and stability of
available air ambulance services for all islands in the State.
�

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.