KA ‘AHA KENEKOA
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2025
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Senator Joy A. San Buenaventura, Chair |
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Senator Henry J.C. Aquino, Vice Chair |
NOTICE OF HEARING
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DATE: |
Wednesday, February 5, 2025 |
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TIME: |
1:00 PM |
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PLACE: |
Conference Room 225 & Videoconference State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
PHOTO ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE STATE CAPITOL
BUILDING HOURS: 7AM TO 5PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY
The Legislature is accepting written, videoconference, and in-person testimony at public hearings.
A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel.
A G E N D A
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PROPOSING A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII TO PROTECT THE RIGHT TO REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM. Amends the Hawaii State Constitution to prohibit the State from denying or interfering with an individual's reproductive freedom, including the right to choose to obtain an abortion and to obtain or use contraceptives.
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HHS, JDC/WAM |
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RELATING TO HOME CARE AGENCIES. Prohibits home care agencies from providing services outside the scope of their facility license.
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HHS, CPN |
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RELATING TO NUISANCES. Clarifies that the Department of Health has the legal authority and obligation to prevent and address nuisances that affect environmental health or public health, or both.
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HHS, JDC |
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RELATING TO THE TRANSITION OF THE OAHU REGIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM FROM THE HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS CORPORATION INTO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. Repeals the requirement to transfer the Oahu Regional Health Care System from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to the Department of Health. Repeals certain changes to the Hawaii Revised Statutes that were made by Act 212, SLH 2021. Requires the Oahu Regional Health Care System to enter into an agreement with the Department of Health regarding Oahu Regional Health Care System taking care of low acuity patients in the Department's custody by December 31, 2025.
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HHS, JDC/WAM |
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RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. Clarifies and updates the responsibilities of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division of the Department of Health to reflect the current mental health systems of care that address the mental health needs of children and adolescents in the State.
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HHS, JDC/WAM |
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RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. Establishes maximum rates of payment for medical care for patients of the Hawaii State Hospital or of another psychiatric facility who are under the custody of the Director of Health. Authorizes the Department of Health to establish long-term care payment rates for patients discharged to a long-term care facility from the Hawaii State Hospital or another psychiatric facility where they were under the custody of the Director of Health. Exempts the Department of Health from chapter 103F, HRS, for the procurement of medical care and long-term care for patients who are or were under the custody of the Director of Health at the Hawaii State Hospital or a psychiatric facility.
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE GENERAL EXCISE TAX. Authorizes general excise tax exemptions for residential care services provided by certain licensed health care facilities pursuant to a contract with the Adult Mental Health Division of the Department of Health. Effective 1/1/26.
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH. Establishes a two-year digital youth mental health platform pilot project under which the child and adolescent mental health division of the department of health develops and makes publicly available a digital platform providing tools and resources designed to help young people address and manage mental health challenges.
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO PRIOR AUTHORIZATION OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES. Requires utilization review entities in the State to submit to the State Health Planning and Development Agency data relating to prior authorization of health care services.
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HHS, CPN |
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RELATING TO AN INTENSIVE MOBILE TEAM PILOT PROGRAM FOR HOUSELESS INDIVIDUALS SUFFERING FROM SERIOUS BRAIN DISORDERS. Establish a pilot program in the Department of Health to provide intensive mobile treatment-type services, e.g., "street psychiatry," to chronically houseless people suffering from serious brain disorders like schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.
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HHS, WAM |
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PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE HAWAII CONSTITUTION TO PROTECT THE RIGHT TO CONTRACEPTION. Proposes an amendment to article I of the Hawaii Constitution to protect a person's right to obtain contraceptives and engage in contraception.
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HHS, JDC/WAM |
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RELATING TO NURSING. Requires the Department of Health to identify one facility in each of the counties of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui that has the capability to establish a Pearson VUE Authorized Test Center as a test site to administer a NCLEX for nurses; equip each facility identified with the technical and facility requirements necessary for a Pearson VUE Authorized Test Center; and submit an application for each facility to Pearson Education, Inc. to be authorized and contracted as a Pearson VUE Authorized Test Center. Requires a report to the Legislature.
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO ACUPUNCTURE. Recognizes individuals practicing acupuncture as essential health care providers who are subject to regulation and control.
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HHS, CPN |
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RELATING TO MEDICAID. Appropriates funds to increase the funding of certain Medicaid home and community-based services, including adult day programs and residential services offered in community care foster family homes and expanded adult residential care homes.
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HHS, WAM |
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MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES. Provides an emergency appropriation for fifty percent of the penalty assessed by the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. The funds will be reinvested in the continued development of a new eligibility system that will assist in reducing the State's supplemental nutrition assistance program payment error rate, which, if successful, may result in the State's not being required to pay the remaining fifty percent of the penalty.
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO CRIMES AGAINST PROTECTIVE SERVICES WORKERS. Specifies that intentionally or knowingly causing bodily injury to a protective services worker who is engaged in the performance of the worker's duties is a class C felony. Clarifies that a protective services worker is a public servant for the purposes of section 707-716, HRS, Terroristic Threatening in the First Degree.
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HHS, JDC |
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RELATING TO MEDICAID THIRD PARTY LIABILITY. Amends third party liability provisions for medical assistance program claims for payment as required under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022.
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HHS, CPN |
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RELATING TO FAMILY RESILIENCE PILOT PROGRAM. Establishes the Family Resilience Pilot Program within the Office of Wellness and Resilience and appropriates funds to execute the program, including the contracting of services.
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE. Directs the Office of Wellness and Resilience to collaborate with the Department of Human Services to, either directly or by contract, design, administer, and implement a program for trauma-informed organizational assessments and a training curriculum for the Department of Human Services child welfare services branch staff, and appropriates funds for the program.
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO HEALTH CARE. Adopts the Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act (2023) with amendments to replace chapters 327E and 327G, HRS. Effective 1/1/2026.
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HHS, JDC |
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RELATING TO TELEHEALTH. Updates the State's laws on telehealth services to conform with federal Medicare regulations. Requires the Insurance Commissioner to report to the Legislature on reimbursements claimed in the previous year for certain telehealth services. Repeals the sunset date of Act 107, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023.
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HHS, CPN |
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RELATING TO PHARMACISTS. Authorizes a registered pharmacist under contract with a covered entity for purposes of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program to supervise via telehealth the filling or receipt of a prescription in certain circumstances.
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HHS, CPN |
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Decision Making to follow, if time permits.
All testimony received by the Hawai‘i Senate is posted on the Hawai‘i Legislature's website, which is accessible to the public. Please do not include private information that you do not want disclosed to the public.
Please go to the Legislature's website, https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov, to submit written testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. Create a free account on the website, or sign in to an existing account, then click on the "Participate" drop down menu and select the "Submit Testimony" option to get started. While submitting your written testimony, you will be prompted to indicate if you would also like to testify at the hearing in-person or remotely via videoconference.
Please note the following:
· The number of oral testifiers and/or time allotted to each testifier may be limited by the Chair when necessary to adhere to the committee hearing schedule. We may not be able to accommodate everyone who requests to testify orally.
· Testifiers for this hearing will be limited to 1 minute each.
If you wish to testify via videoconference during the hearing, please review the detailed step-by-step instructions for testimony procedures before you submit your written testimony. Here's a direct link to the instructions: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/docs/testimonyinstructions.pdf
For general help navigating the committee hearing process, please contact the Public Access Room at (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov. You can also visit their website at https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par/.
For special assistance: The cable TV broadcast and/or live stream of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, please call the committee clerk at the telephone number listed below or email HHScommittee@capitol.hawaii.gov. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.
For amended notices: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are underscored. If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has been deleted from the agenda.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT (808) 586-6890.
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_____________________________________ Senator Joy A. San Buenaventura Chair |
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