HB 1118 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO NON-MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS TO IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS.

HB 1118 prohibits the creation of new non-medical exemptions (such as religious or personal belief-based exemptions) for immunization requirements for school-aged children. It directly affects families of children attending school who previously could opt out of vaccines without a medical reason. The bill does not impact existing exemptions but prevents new non-medical exemptions from being added to current requirements. The policy change takes effect on July 1, 3000, as stated in the bill's abstract.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 21, 2025 Last action Mar 4, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB1118_HD1 → HB1118_HD2 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill maintains Hawaii's existing immunization requirements for school entry while making minor technical updates to the text of the law. The most significant change is the addition of a provision allowing students with approved religious exemptions for the 2024-2025 school year to continue those exemptions for the following year. The bill also clarifies that students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) retain access to special education services regardless of immunization status.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on school immunization requirements, with no substantive expansion or contraction of the law's applicability beyond clarifying existing provisions.

ELIGIBILITY

Added provision allowing students with approved religious exemptions for the 2024-2025 school year to maintain those exemptions for the 2025-2026 school year.

Added clarification that students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) retain access to special education services regardless of immunization status.

REQUIREMENT

Modified Section 302A-1156 to change language from 'may be exempted' to 'shall be exempted' for medical exemptions, strengthening the requirement for medical exemptions.

Modified Section 325-34 to remove language allowing religious exemptions for adults and minors, while maintaining the requirement that objections must be in writing and must conflict with bona fide religious tenets.

TECHNICAL

Corrected various formatting errors, typos, and inconsistent language throughout the bill text, including fixing 'person in loco parentio' to 'person in loco parentis' and correcting 'individualized education action program' to 'individualized education program'.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 4, 2025

Committee

Recommitted to JHA with none voting no and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused.

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Hashem, Takayama; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Poepoe, Belatti; 3 Noes: Representative(s) Perruso, Garcia, Shimizu; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran, Kahaloa, Todd.

lower

Feb 12, 2025

Committee

Reported from HLT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 532) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.

lower

Feb 7, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on HLT recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Amato, Chun, Marten, Takenouchi; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Olds; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia; and Excused: none.

lower

Jan 23, 2025

Committee

Referred to HLT, JHA, referral sheet 3

lower

Jan 23, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors