Healthcare

in committee · Hawaii · Senate Jan 26, 2026

SB 2365: RELATING TO COMMUNITY-BASED CARE.

Requires the Department of Health to adopt rules mandating that each primary caregiver and substitute caregiver in a Community Care Foster Family Home be a licensed nurse or certified nurse aide. Makes the requirements for primary and substitute caregivers applicable to all Community Care Foster Family Homes, regardless of the number of clients in the home.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates licensed nurses/CNAs for foster home caregivers, strengthening healthcare quality standards in community care settings per DOH requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Long-Term Care

Track

signed · Hawaii · House Jun 24, 2026

HB 1515: RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION.

Authorizes an attending physician to request a functional capacity examination and refer an injured employee for the examination without first obtaining permission from the employee's employer in order to assess the employee's ability to return to work. Allows licensed occupational and physical therapists to be deemed qualified to perform functional capacity examinations. (CD1)

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllows physicians to refer for medical exams without employer approval, improving access to functional capacity evaluations for injured workers under workers' comp, enhancing healthcare service delivery in workplace injury cases.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRemoves employer permission barrier for medical exams in workers' comp, streamlining access for injured employees and protecting their rights to timely evaluations.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

in committee · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 956: RELATING TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.

Allows a patient seen in-person by another health care provider in the same medical group as the prescribing physician to be prescribed an opiate prescription for a three-day supply or less via telehealth.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables telehealth prescriptions for short opiate supplies, improving access without requiring in-person visits for same-group patients.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Telehealth

Track

in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 2, 2026

HB 2482: RELATING TO THE RELOCATION OF FACILITIES.

Establishes the facilities relocation task force to identify and address the issue of the inequitable location of mental health facilities, clean and sober homes, homeless shelters, and supportive living homes across the island of Oahu, particularly on the Waianae Coast. Appropriates funds.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAppropriates funds and creates task force to address inequitable mental health facility locations, improving access to mental health services on Waianae Coast.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingFunds task force to address inequitable placement of homeless shelters and supportive housing facilities, advancing housing access for vulnerable populations.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health Homelessness

Track

in committee · Hawaii · Senate Jan 30, 2026

SB 2860: RELATING TO THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SPECIAL FUND.

Amends the Emergency Medical Services Special Fund by authorizing the deposit of revenues from billable emergency medical services. Amends the composition, allowable uses, and establishes a cap on the special fund.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill authorizes deposit of EMS service revenues into special fund, strengthening funding mechanism for emergency medical services without restrictions.80% confidence

Track

passed · Hawaii · Senate Feb 20, 2026

SB 3276: RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS.

Requires the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions to develop and implement a plan to reduce the State's total homeless population by at least twenty-five per cent by 1/1/2028, measured against the 2026 point-in-time count. Requires any funding request by the Office after fiscal year 2026-2027 to be based on the plan. Requires the appointment of the Coordinator on Homelessness to be subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. Appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services for the funding of the Homeless Outreach and Navigation for Unsheltered Persons Program under the Ohana Zones Program, and for the expenses of the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions. Appropriates funds to the University of Hawaii to conduct a survey on statewide homelessness. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates state funds for homelessness programs, increasing government spending on essential services per budget allocation requirements.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds medical respite program and homeless outreach, directly expanding healthcare access for vulnerable populations through state appropriations.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingFunds medical respite, homeless outreach, and statewide homelessness programs under Ohana Zones, directly addressing housing instability through targeted funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Homelessness

Track

signed · Hawaii · Senate Jul 10, 2026

SB 3325: RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENTS.

Requires the Department of Education to establish an updated plan for maximizing Medicaid reimbursements for administrative and support services provided to students with special needs. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. (CD1)

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires maximizing Medicaid reimbursements for special education support services, directly increasing funding access for schools serving students with special needs.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates maximizing Medicaid reimbursements for special needs school services, directly increasing healthcare funding access for students.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Special Education Student Health Medicaid

signed · Hawaii · House Jun 4, 2026

HB 2314: RELATING TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL SYSTEMS OF CARE.

HB 2314 modernizes Hawaii's emergency medical services (EMS) statutes to align with current best practices. It directly affects EMS providers, ambulance services, and emergency care systems across the state by updating outdated regulations. The bill focuses on revising statutory requirements for training, equipment, and protocols to reflect contemporary medical standards. This update aims to improve the efficiency and quality of emergency care delivery without specifying new funding or penalties.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareModernizes EMS statutes to improve care quality/efficiency via updated training, equipment, and protocols, directly strengthening emergency healthcare delivery systems.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Telehealth Tags Public Safety

in committee · Hawaii · Senate Jan 26, 2026

SB 2224: RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, requires each public school in the State, including charter schools, to employ, or retain under contract, at least one mental health professional for every 250 students enrolled, subject to certain conditions. Requires the Department of Education to submit a progress report to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2027. Appropriates moneys for the Department of Education to contract for mental health professionals and to establish an unspecified number of full‑time equivalent mental health professional positions within the Department of Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAppropriates funds to require mental health professionals per 250 students, enhancing student mental health support in K-12 schools.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates mental health professionals in schools with funding, directly advancing mental health services per healthcare topic indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health Teachers Healthcare Workforce Mental Health

Track

in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 2, 2026

HB 2536: RELATING TO MEDICAL BILLING.

Establishes the Office of Payment Monitoring within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to monitor and enforce prompt payment of clean claims for reimbursement from health or sickness insurers. Appropriates moneys.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes Office of Payment Monitoring to enforce prompt reimbursement from insurers, improving provider payment efficiency and supporting healthcare delivery system.90% confidence

Track