Amends prohibitions on the use of lead materials in drinking water distribution to align with the Safe Drinking Water Act and related Code of Federal Regulations. (CD1)
Establishes the Statewide Air Medical Services Program within the Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention Systems Branch to coordinate and strengthen air medical services. Establishes the positions of an air medical director, an air medical program manager, and an air medical coordinator. Specifies that annual licensure and accreditation fees are to be deposited into the Emergency Medical Services Special Fund for costs of the program. (CD1)
Appropriates funds to the Department of Health to purchase one advanced life support ambulance and related equipment to be based in the Central Maui area of the County of Maui and fund pay-related personnel costs for state-certified emergency medical services personnel. (CD1)
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 It directly affects EMS providers, ambulance services, and emergency care systems across the state by updating outdated regulations.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.
Expands the protections established under Act 2, SLH 2023, to include gender-affirming health care services, including clarifying permitted disclosures of protected health information to address changes in federal regulations. Establishes protections against abusive litigation. Prohibits medical malpractice insurers and health carriers from taking certain adverse actions against health care providers solely on the basis that the health care provider provides lawful reproductive health care services or gender-affirming health care services. (SD2)
Amends the functions and responsibilities of the State Health Planning and Development Agency. Adds a new definition of "health care" for the purposes of health planning and resource development and health care cost control. Increase the certificate of need exemption threshold for bed changes to up to thirty per cent of existing licensed beds. Exempts health care facilities or services operated by the Department of Health from certificate of need requirements. (CD1)
Clarifies that community mental health outpatient programs that have agreed to provide mental health services to a defendant as part of an assisted community treatment order may prepare a certificate for assisted community treatment and provide the certificate to a defendant and may file an assisted community treatment petition with the Family Court. (CD1)
This Senate Concurrent Resolution requests the Governor of Hawaii to create procedures allowing out-of-state health care professionals to practice temporarily during a state of emergency without holding a Hawaii license. The measure specifically targets physicians, nurses, pharmacists, mental health counselors, and other designated professionals who must hold valid licenses in their home jurisdictions and be affiliated with recognized emergency response organizations. Key provisions include permitting telehealth services without prior patient relationships, requiring professionals to register within 24 hours of deployment, and limiting authorization to 60 days or until the emergency ends. The resolution also establishes an online registry for tracking participating professionals and includes liability protections for the state while maintaining malpractice standards for the practitioners.
This Senate Concurrent Resolution asks state officials to work with the U.S. Department of Defense and military partners to explore creating a partnership between military and civilian trauma systems in Hawaii. The bill specifically requests that the Governor and Department of Health evaluate opportunities for Tripier Army Medical Center to serve as a receiving trauma center for civilian patients, investigate funding options for uncompensated care, and consider legislative changes to allow reimbursement for civilian trauma services at military facilities. Additionally, the resolution seeks to develop tele-trauma consultation capabilities to help rural hospitals and improve overall trauma care access across the state. The Department of Health is required to submit a report with findings and recommendations to the Legislature by the beginning of the 2027 session.
This Senate Concurrent Resolution establishes the Hawaii Health Plan Working Group to design and recommend a basic, affordable health plan available to every resident of the state. The working group will include representatives from the legislature, governor's office, insurance commissioner, state health planning agency, Hawaii Medical Service Association, and Kaiser Permanente. The group is tasked with developing a plan to address potential increases in uninsured residents due to changes in federal health insurance subsidies and Medicaid work requirements, with a report due to the Legislature by late 2026. The working group will cease to exist on June 30, 2027, after submitting its final recommendations and any proposed legislation.
