Rep. Sean Quinlan

Establishes patient rights with respect to timely access to specialists and referrals and prior authorization determination timelines. Establishes certain requirements for health carriers for prior authorization determinations. Establishes certain requirements for the use of automated decision support tools for claims determinations and utilization review. Requires health carriers to establish certain safeguards for protected health information. Establishes certain reporting requirements for network adequacy. Establishes certain provider protections. Expands the Insurance Commissioner's enforcement authority.

Maddy summaryHB 2588 establishes an American Sign Language (ASL) Program at the University of Hawaii and appropriates funding for its operation. The program directly affects University of Hawaii students and future ASL interpreters by providing dedicated educational resources. Key provisions include creating the program structure and allocating state funds for its implementation. This bill represents a concrete policy change to support ASL education at the university level.

Authorizes and appropriates moneys for the Board of Psychology to grant prescriptive authority privilege to clinical psychologists who meet specific education, training, and registration requirements. Requires the Board of Psychology to accept applications for prescriptive authority privilege beginning 7/1/2027. Requires reports to the Legislature.

Establishes an income tax credit for eligible employers who employ qualified interns or apprentices. Requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, in coordination with the Department of Taxation, to report to the Legislature on the tax credit. Appropriates funds.

Appropriates funds to the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to assist small businesses, including those related to the tourism sector, with technology enablement, including the adoption of artificial intelligence and advanced digital tools. Requires the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to submit a report to the Legislature.

Establishes the Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program within the Department of Human Services to assist eligible households in paying their energy bills. Requires the Public Utilities Commission Public Benefits Fee Administrator to provide certain information and assistance to recipients of the program. Establishes positions. Appropriates funds.

Authorizes the Attorney General to bring a civil action in the name of the people of the State as parens patriae against any responsible party to recover certain costs or obtain certain relief, including costs and losses incurred by the Hawaii Property Insurance Association, Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund, or other state entities, resulting from climate attributable harm or costs for risk of future climate attributable harm. Authorizes the Hawaii Property Insurance Association and Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund, or any private insurer licensed in the State to bring a civil cause of action against a responsible party to recover its costs and losses resulting from climate attributable harm.

Maddy summaryHB 2176 requires the Legislative Reference Bureau to study how other states regulate price gouging for food products. This bill does not change current law or directly affect consumers, businesses, or other stakeholders - it only directs a research study. The bill is currently in early stages (referred to committees after introduction on January 28, 2026). It focuses solely on gathering information, not implementing new policies.

Requires quarterly rather than annual reporting of all use of restricted use pesticides. Amends the contents of reports to include specific geospatial data and information and increased detail on the amount of restricted use pesticides used. Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to develop an online reporting tool for restricted use pesticides. Appropriates funds.

Maddy summaryHB 1835 updates Hawaii law to expand the legal definition of "condominium association" to include associations organized under Chapter 421J of the Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS). This change directly affects certain homeowners' associations currently governed by Chapter 421J, which were previously excluded from the condominium association framework. The bill modifies the statutory definition without adding new requirements or altering existing rules for these associations. It is a procedural clarification to ensure consistent application of laws governing such associations.