STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1781

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 1421

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1421, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICAL RECORDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to repeal the requirement for the Department of Health to approve a health care provider's arrangement for the retention and preservation of patients' medical records prior to the health care ceasing operations and clarify the requirements for any such arrangements.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health and Queen's Health Systems.

Your Committee finds that requiring the approval from the Department of Health for the disposition of patient medical records is no longer necessary, as modern electronic medical record systems have features that ensure security, redundancy, and protection for medical records. This measure removes the redundant approval requirement while ensuring that the State's medical record retention laws still comply with federal and state regulations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1421, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1421, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair