HR 97 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

REQUESTING THE HAWAII STATE CENTER FOR NURSING TO COMPILE A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF RECOMMENDED SAFE PATIENT STAFFING RATIOS FOR ALL NURSING SPECIALTIES AND SUBSPECIALITIES ACROSS ALL HEALTH CARE SETTINGS, AND TO MAINTAIN A REPOSITORY FOR THIS INFORMATION.

This House Resolution requests the Hawaii State Center for Nursing to compile a comprehensive list of recommended safe patient staffing ratios for all nursing specialties across healthcare settings and maintain a public repository of this information. The bill directs the center to make this repository available to the public no later than twenty days before the start of the 2027 legislative session. It also urges healthcare facilities to consider implementing these recommended staffing standards. The resolution is based on findings that safe staffing levels improve patient outcomes and support nurse retention, and it directs copies of the measure to state health officials and hospital executives.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House Passage

Apr 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 16, 2026 Last action Apr 9, 2026

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What changed between versions

HR97 → HR97_HD1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was expanded from a request to conduct a study into a mandate to create and maintain a permanent online repository of safe staffing ratios. The scope broadened significantly to cover all nursing specialties and healthcare settings, rather than just hospital units, and the list of professional organizations consulted was removed. The deadline for submission was shortened from twenty days before the 2027 session to simply being available by that date.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a limited study of hospital units to a comprehensive repository covering all nursing specialties and healthcare settings.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the requirement from conducting a study to compiling a comprehensive list and maintaining a permanent repository of staffing ratios.

Removed the specific requirement to use House Bill 1865 and Senate Bill 2763 as the foundational framework for the study.

Removed the detailed list of ten specific professional nursing associations that were previously required to be consulted.

SCOPE

Expanded the scope to include all nursing specialties and subspecialties across all healthcare settings, removing the previous focus on specific hospital units.

TIMELINE

Adjusted the deadline from submitting a study twenty days before the 2027 session to making the repository publicly available by that same date.

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 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Resolution adopted in final form.

lower

Apr 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Adopted with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1).

lower

Apr 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1955-26), recommending adoption.

lower

Apr 7, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 15 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Morikawa.

lower

Apr 1, 2026

Lower · Passed

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).

lower

Apr 1, 2026

Committee

Reported from HLT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1593-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending referral to FIN.

lower

Mar 25, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on HLT recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Amato, Hartsfield, Marten, Olds, Takenouchi, Alcos, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

lower

Mar 18, 2026

Committee

Referred to HLT, FIN, referral sheet 19

lower

Mar 16, 2026

Introduced

Offered

lower

16 primary · 0 co-sponsors