HCR71

WHEREAS, recognizing the importance of ensuring accessible, affordable, and equitable health care for all individuals is in the public interest; and

WHEREAS, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 mandates recipients of federal financial assistance to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to programs, services, and activities for limited English proficient (LEP) persons; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Census Bureau's 2021 American Community Survey reveals that 21.5 percent of people in the United States communicate in a language other than English at home, with 8.2 percent of them having a limited ability to speak English very well, meeting the definition of limited English proficiency; and

WHEREAS, in Hawaii, 25.9 percent of persons aged five years and older speak a language other than English at home; and

WHEREAS, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic underscored the critical necessity of services in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander languages, with communities having high numbers of LEP residents experiencing higher rates of incidence and mortality; and

WHEREAS, the August 2023 Maui wildfires increased the need for accessible health care services, particularly for LEP individuals; and

WHEREAS, the language barriers faced by LEP individuals contribute to decreased quality of care, poor clinical outcomes, and more extended hospital stays, emphasizing the need for language assistance services; and

WHEREAS, LEP individuals and those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have low vision, may require assistance such as interpreters, translated materials, or alternative formats for effective communication during health care interactions; and

WHEREAS, communication and language barriers are linked to disparities in patient-provider interactions, particularly affecting racial and ethnic minorities and the twenty-four million adults with limited English proficiency residing in the United States; and

WHEREAS, LEP individuals have shared experiences of having to retain their own interpreters in health care settings even after requesting their health care providers to arrange for professional interpreters; and

WHEREAS, studies indicate that access to communication and language assistance is integral to the delivery of high-quality health care for all populations; and

WHEREAS, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program providers, Medicare Part A providers, and organizations offering Medicare Advantage Plans and Prescription Drug Plans may need to provide language assistance services to comply with federal requirements; and

WHEREAS, while major hospitals across the State have made strides in addressing language barriers, much remains to be done to ensure comprehensive language access in health care settings to guarantee equitable and effective communication for all individuals, particularly those with limited English proficiency; and

WHEREAS, effective communication is crucial in health care and human services to prevent misdiagnosis, delayed medical treatment, and barriers to necessary services and programs; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Health is requested to convene a Stakeholder Working Group to make recommendations to enhance meaningful access to health care in the State through the provision of language assistance services; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to invite stakeholders, including health care providers, insures, representatives of community-based organizations, and language service providers, to participate in the Stakeholder Working Group; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Stakeholder Working Group is requested to:

(1) Study and assess language access in health care settings across the State and on each island in the State, including but not limited to:

(A) Experiences of LEP populations using language assistance services;

(B) Existing language assistance services and workforce;

(D) Practice of using family members and friends as interpreters in health care settings;

(E) Availability of interpreters; and

(F) Requirements for providing interpretation services in medical and health care settings; and

(2) Make recommendations to enhance meaningful access to health care in the State for individuals requiring language assistance services; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to submit a report of the Stakeholder Working Group's study, findings, and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2025; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Department of Health; Stakeholder Working Group; Access to Health Care; Limited English Proficiency (LEP); Language Access Services; Report.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	71
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
STATE OF HAWAII