HCR 188 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

DECLARING A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND REQUESTING STATEWIDE COORDINATION TO IDENTIFY, PLAN FOR, AND CREATE CROSS-SECTOR SOLUTIONS TO STRENGTHEN HAWAII'S PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS.

HCR 188 is a concurrent resolution declaring climate change a public health emergency in Hawaii. It requires all state agencies - including Health, Transportation, Agriculture, and Land - to coordinate cross-departmental efforts to address climate-related health risks like extreme heat, disease spread, food insecurity, and mental health impacts. The resolution directs agencies to examine how their work affects public health and develop joint solutions, building on Hawaii’s 2021 climate emergency declaration. It does not create new laws or funding but mandates agency collaboration and reporting to the Governor and relevant department heads.

Issues: ✓ Environment ✓ Healthcare

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 7, 2025 Last action Apr 4, 2025

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What changed between versions

HCR188 → HCR188_HD1 · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill was reformatted from a plain text document to a structured digital template used for legislative processing. The substantive policy content, including the emergency declaration, reasons, and resolution directives, remains unchanged. No new policy requirements, funding, or scope modifications were introduced.

TECHNICAL

Document structure was converted from plain text to a formatted digital template with metadata fields, headers, and footers added for administrative processing.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 4, 2025

Committee

Referred to AEN/HHS.

upper

Apr 4, 2025

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 550).

upper

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Adopted as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Kong, Muraoka, Pierick, Shimizu voting no (6) and Representative(s) Cochran, Woodson excused (2).

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported from HLT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1880) as amended in HD 1, recommending adoption.

lower

Apr 2, 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, Olds, Takenouchi; Ayes with reservations: none; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia; and 0 Excused: none.

lower

Mar 27, 2025

Committee

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on HLT with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Muraoka, Pierick, Shimizu voting no (5) and Representative(s) Hashem, Hussey, Templo, Ward excused (4).

lower

Mar 27, 2025

Committee

Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1600), recommending referral to HLT.

lower

Mar 20, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 4 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Kahaloa, Kusch; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Quinlan, Ward.

lower

Mar 14, 2025

Committee

Referred to EEP, HLT, referral sheet 22

lower

Mar 7, 2025

Introduced

Offered

lower

9 primary · 0 co-sponsors