HB784 • 2026

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Budget Healthcare

Active

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

Sponsor: LOWEN, KAHALOA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KUSCH, TAKAYAMA, TARNAS, TODD
Last action: 2026-04-02
Official status: Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on the number of individuals who will benefit or the exact impact on reducing death and disability.

Health Bill: Ambulance Funding

This bill provides funding to operate an additional advanced life support ambulance in Makalei, Hawaii, for two fiscal years.

What This Bill Does

Provides funding from state revenues for the operation of one more advanced life support ambulance on the island of Hawaii.
The new ambulance will be based in Makalei and serve the North Kona area.
Funds are allocated for two fiscal years to cover operating costs and personnel expenses.

Who It Names or Affects

Residents and visitors in the North Kona area who need emergency medical services.
The Department of Health, which will manage the funds and oversee the ambulance operation.
Emergency medical service personnel working on the new ambulance.

Terms To Know

Advanced Life Support Ambulance: An ambulance equipped to provide advanced medical care and life support services beyond basic first aid.
Fiscal Year: A period of one year used for budgeting and financial reporting by the government.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill only provides funding for two fiscal years, after which further appropriations may be needed.
It is not clear how many people will benefit from this new ambulance service.

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 operate an advanced life support ambulance in the Makalei area of Hawaii Island, addressing health care access issues.

Allocates money from state general revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to cover operating costs and personnel expenses for an advanced life support ambulance in Makalei.

The effective date of July 1, 3000 is likely a placeholder or error since it's far into the future.
Details on how much money will be allocated are not specified.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: This amendment allocates funds to operate an advanced life support ambulance in the Makalei area of Hawaii Island, addressing health care access issues.

Allocates money from state revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to cover operating costs and personnel expenses for an advanced life support ambulance in Makalei.
Specifies that the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation will manage some of these funds.

The exact amount of money allocated is not specified, only that it will be 'so much thereof as may be necessary'.
It's unclear why there is a very distant effective date of July 1, 2050.

Bill History

2026-04-02 S
Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
2026-04-01 H
House Conferee(s) discharged.
2026-03-20 H
Received notice of all Senate conferees being discharged (Sen. Com. No. 409).
2026-03-20 S
Senate Conferee(s) discharged.
2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-04-23 H
Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Thursday, 04-24-25 3:16PM in conference room 329.
2025-04-16 H
Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 810).
2025-04-16 S
Senate Conferees Appointed: San Buenaventura Chair; Wakai Co-Chair; Fevella.
2025-04-15 S
Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 732).
2025-04-14 H
House Conferees Appointed: Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy Co-Chairs; Lowen, Quinlan, Garcia.
2025-04-11 S
Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 704).
2025-04-10 H
House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).
2025-04-08 H
Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 677) in amended form (SD 1).
2025-04-08 S
Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2025-04-04 S
48 Hrs. Notice 04-08-25.
2025-04-04 S
Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1755) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 1).
2025-04-02 S
The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 13 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, Aquino, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2025-03-31 S
The committee on WAM has added the measure to decision making scheduled on 04-02-25 10:01AM; CR 211 & Videoconference.
2025-03-19 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading and referred to WAM.
2025-03-19 S
Reported from HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1147) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading and referral to WAM.
2025-03-12 S
The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in HHS were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, Aquino, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Hashimoto, Keohokalole.
2025-03-07 S
The committee(s) on HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 03-12-25 1:10PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2025-03-04 S
Referred to HHS, WAM.
2025-03-04 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-03-04 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 126).
2025-02-28 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick, Templo, Ward excused (4). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-28 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 955), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-02-21 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 12 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 4 Excused: Representative(s) Holt, Lee, M., Alcos, Ward.
2025-02-19 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Friday, 02-21-25 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-11 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 Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).
2025-02-11 H
Reported from HLT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 326) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2025-02-05 H
The committee on HLT recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Amato, Chun, Marten, Olds, Takenouchi, Alcos; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Garcia.
2025-01-31 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HLT on Wednesday, 02-05-25 9:30AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to HLT, FIN, referral sheet 2
2025-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-17 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO HEALTH.
Emergency Medical Services; Advanced Life Support Ambulance; Department of Health; Hawaii Health Systems Corporation; Appropriation ($)
Makes an appropriation for the operation of an additional ambulance for the island of Hawaii to be based in Makalei. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB784

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

784

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO HEALTH
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that the island
of Hawaii needs an additional advanced life support ambulance to augment the
Hawaii county emergency medical services system for residents of the North Kona
area.

����
The
legislature further finds that access to primary health care in North Kona is
challenging for the community.
�
For many
residents, primary care services are as many as thirty miles away.
�
Coupled with economic and transportation
challenges, emergency medical services have become the access point for health
care to many residents.

����
The
legislature further finds that resources to operate an additional ambulance
will help reduce death and disability among residents and visitors on the
island of Hawaii.
�
A timely response to a
911 call is critical to increase the likelihood of successful outcomes for
injured or sick individuals.
�
Given the
island's significant growth and aging population, an additional ambulance is
needed and will be cost-effective.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to appropriate moneys for the operation of an advanced
life support ambulance to be based in the Makalei area on the island of Hawaii,
including operating costs and personnel costs for state-certified emergency
medical service personnel.

����
SECTION
2.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,750,000 or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so
much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the operation of
an additional ambulance for the island of Hawaii, to be based in Makalei.

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

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SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Emergency
Medical Services; Advanced Life Support Ambulance; Appropriation

Description:

Makes an
appropriation for the operation of an additional ambulance for the island of
Hawaii to be based in Makalei.

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