Several bills that would have upgraded Hawaii County’s health infrastructure failed to pass the state Legislature.
Several bills that would have upgraded Hawaii County’s health infrastructure failed to pass the state Legislature.
Bills that would have funded additional ambulance services around the Big Island died earlier this year after failing to proceed beyond both chambers.
Senate Bill 2658, which would have appropriated funding for an additional ambulance unit for each of the state’s counties, made it the furthest into the legislative process, completely passing through the Senate and passing a second reading in the House before stalling in late March.
Similar bills died much earlier.
House Bill 1616, which would have funded a life-support ambulance for Puna, was deferred in mid-February, while House Bill 1790, which would have funded 24-hour ambulance units in Hawaii and Kauai counties, stalled after a second reading in the House earlier that month. A companion bill for HB 1790 was shelved by the end of January.
Meanwhile, a bill that would have funded a new cardiac care unit at Hilo Medical Center failed to proceed after passing a second reading in its second chamber in late March.
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