STAND. COM. REP. NO. 65

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 139

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 139 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for standard fertility preservation services under certain circumstances for policies, contracts, plans, and agreements issued or renewed after December 31, 2025.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Society of Clinical Oncology; Association for Clinical Oncology; Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; Advanced Reproductive Medicine & Gynecology of Hawaii, Inc.; Fertility Institute of Hawaii; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; Alliance for Fertility Preservation; FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered; Hawaii Medical Service Association; Hawaii Association of Health Plans; and six individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Office of the Auditor.

Your Committee finds advances in technology have greatly improved cancer treatment and survivor rates. Your Committee further finds that many medical treatments that treat cancer, such as chemotherapy and radiation, can significantly damage reproductive tissues and affect fertility in men and women. However, many of these individuals are unable to afford the financial burden of fertility preservation, often leaving cancer survivors in their prime without the ability to start a family. Your Committee believes that requiring coverage of fertility preservation for patients whose diagnosis and treatment may adversely affect their fertility will reduce some of the long-term mental, emotional, and physical impacts of cancer on patients and their families.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider including spouses and dependents of policyholders over the age of twenty-six among the individuals able to receive coverage for standard fertility preservation services as provided by this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 139, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 139, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair