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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
1976 |
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THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO DEMENTIA.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
This significant growth in the number of individuals living with Alzheimer's disease is expected to increase emergency department utilization, hospital readmissions, and overall health care costs. Data show that individuals with dementia experience 1,248 emergency department visits per one thousand persons annually, reflecting a high rate of re-admittance and frequent interaction with emergency medical services personnel.
The legislature further finds that six in ten people living with dementia will wander, often repeatedly, and may forget their name or address or become disoriented even in familiar places. When individuals with dementia are lost, they may exhibit anxiety, fear, or hostility, which may escalate into aggressive behaviors. As the disease progresses and societal norms are forgotten, incidents may include filing false police reports, victimization, indecent exposure, and shoplifting. People with Alzheimer's disease may appear uncooperative, disruptive, or combative if they have difficulty communicating and understanding what is happening. First responders often lack the training needed to effectively assist these individuals, which may lead to confusion and unnecessary escalation.
The legislature further finds that police, emergency medical services, and fire department personnel are frequently the first responders who encounter wandering individuals or respond to dementia-related incidents. In particular, fire department personnel are often the first on scene for medical emergencies and fires and may need to rescue individuals living with dementia who are uncooperative or disoriented. The importance of managing these situations appropriately will become even more critical as Hawaii experiences an increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires that require rapid evacuations and specialized communication strategies for vulnerable populations.
The legislature finds that dementia-specific training for first responders is cost effective and readily available. For example, the Alzheimer's Association offers free, one-hour online trainings for first responders. The Hawaii chapter of the Alzheimer's Association has partnered with the Honolulu police department to provide in-person dementia training to new recruits at no cost. These resources enable agencies to build dementia capability without additional appropriations.
The legislature further finds that evidence-based dementia training improves recognition, communication, and de-escalation skills, reducing preventable hospitalizations, emergency interventions, and crises, while strengthening community safety and resilience.
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to require annual dementia-specific training for all first responders in Hawaii and to ensure that training content addresses recognition, assessment, and communication; abuse and neglect identification; caregiver engagement; disaster response; and safe return.
SECTION 2. Chapter 127A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§127A- Dementia-specific training. (a) The director or the director's
designee shall review the list of dementia‑specific training options
recommended by the executive office on aging pursuant to section
349- and provide at least one hour of dementia‑specific
training from that list to agency personnel.
The dementia‑specific training offered shall be accessible at no
cost to the agency personnel. The
director or the director's designee shall begin offering dementia‑specific
training to agency personnel by July 1, 2027.
(b) All agency personnel shall complete a minimum
of one hour of dementia-specific training annually. The first annual training cycle shall be
completed by June 30, 2028.
(c) The dementia-specific training provided under
this section shall not create or impose any civil or criminal liability upon
any agency personnel, agency, or department.
(d) For purposes of this section, "dementia-specific training" means training curricula recommended by the executive office on aging for the purpose of first responder training pursuant to section 349- ."
SECTION 3. Chapter 132, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§132- Dementia-specific training. (a) Each county fire chief and the
fire chief of the Hawaii state aircraft rescue fire fighting unit, or the
respective fire chief's designee, shall review the list of dementia‑specific
training options recommended by the executive office on aging pursuant to
section 349- and provide at least one hour of dementia‑specific
training from that list to fire first responders within the fire chief's
department or unit. The dementia‑specific
training shall be accessible at no cost to fire first responders. Each respective chief shall begin offering dementia‑specific
training to fire first responders by July 1, 2027.
(b) All fire first
responders within the State and counties shall complete a minimum of one hour
of dementia‑specific training annually. The first annual training cycle shall be
completed by June 30, 2028.
(c) The dementia‑specific training provided
under this section shall not create or impose any civil or criminal liability
upon any fire first responder personnel, agency, or department.
(d) For purposes of this section:
"Dementia-specific
training" means training curricula recommended by the executive office on aging
for the purpose of first responder training pursuant to section
349- .
"Fire first responders" means first responder personnel employed by state and county fire protection agencies and departments."
SECTION 4. Chapter 139, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§139- Dementia training. (a) The board or the board's designee
shall review the list of dementia‑specific training options recommended
by the executive office on aging pursuant to section 349- and
require at least one hour of dementia‑specific training from that list to
be provided to law enforcement officers.
The dementia‑specific training shall be accessible at no cost to
law enforcement officers. The board
shall require law enforcement agencies to begin offering dementia‑specific
training to law enforcement officers by July 1, 2027.
(b) All law enforcement officers within the State
and counties shall complete a minimum of one hour of dementia‑specific training
annually. The first annual training
cycle shall be completed by June 30, 2028.
(c) The dementia‑specific training provided
under this section shall not create or impose any civil or criminal liability
upon any law enforcement officer, agency, or department.
(d) For purposes of this section, "dementia-specific
training" means training curricula recommended by the executive office on
aging for the purpose of first responder training pursuant to section
349- ."
SECTION 5. Chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part XVIII to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§321- Dementia-specific training. (a)
The director of health or the director's designee shall review the list
of dementia‑specific training options recommended by the executive office
on aging pursuant to section 349- and provide at least one
hour of dementia‑specific training from that list to emergency medical
services personnel and first responder personnel. The dementia‑specific training shall be
accessible at no cost to emergency medical services personnel and first
responder personnel. The director of
health or the director's designee shall begin offering dementia‑specific training
to emergency medical services personnel and first responder personnel by July
1, 2027.
(b) All emergency medical services personnel and
first responder personnel shall complete a minimum of one hour of
dementia-specific training annually. The
first annual training cycle shall be completed by June 30, 2028.
(c) The dementia‑specific training provided
under this section shall not create or impose any civil or criminal liability
upon any emergency medical services personnel, first responder personnel,
employer, agency, or department.
(d) For purposes of this section, "dementia-specific training" means training curricula recommended by the executive office on aging for the purpose of first responder training pursuant to section 349- ."
SECTION 6. Chapter 349, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part I to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§349- Dementia-specific first responder training
curriculum content review. (a)
The executive office on aging or the office's designee shall review
and recommend a list of dementia‑specific training curricula for agencies
that employ first responders to ensure statewide consistency and alignment with
best practices. The dementia‑specific
training shall address the recognition of and response to persons having
Alzheimer's disease and related types of dementia. The executive office on aging shall make
available a list of recommended dementia‑specific training curricula
options that meet the requirements of this section.
(b) The executive office on aging shall seek low-
to no‑cost dementia‑specific training curricula. The executive office on aging shall identify
whether each training option has an associated fee or is available at no cost
when developing the curriculum list.
(c) The dementia‑specific training
curricula may include:
(1) Strategies for recognizing key signs
of Alzheimer's disease and related types of dementia;
(2) Strategies for assessing cognition;
(3) Best practices for interacting with
persons having Alzheimer's disease or related types of dementia, including
during disaster response;
(4) Strategies to identify and intervene
in situations in which persons having Alzheimer's disease or related types of
dementia may be at risk of abuse or neglect; and
(5) Best practices to ensure the safe
return of persons having Alzheimer's disease or related types of dementia.
(d) All dementia‑specific training
curricula recommended by the executive office on aging shall include at least
one hour of instruction time.
(e) The executive office on aging may coordinate
with other agencies to review and recommend dementia‑specific training
curricula developed by a first responder department or agency.
(f) The executive office on aging may use educational and training resources made available in the public and private sectors to develop dementia‑specific training curricula that meet the requirements of this section."
SECTION 7. Section 321-229.2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.
["[§321-229.2] First responder personnel; dementia training.
(a) The employers of first
responder personnel may obtain dementia
training for first responder personnel, which may include:
(1) Recognizing the key signs of
Alzheimer's disease and related types of dementia;
(2) Strategies for assessing cognition;
(3) Best practices for interacting with
persons with Alzheimer's disease and related types of dementia; and
(4) Strategies to best identify and
intervene in situations where persons with Alzheimer's disease and related
types of dementia may be at particular risk of abuse or neglect.
(b) The training shall be offered
at no cost to the applicable first responder personnel and shall be funded by private contributions
from relevant non-profit organizations.
(c) The executive office on aging
may coordinate the training schedules and standards, as necessary, with all
public and private entities and agencies responsible for services provided by first
responder personnel, including entering
into agreements or memoranda of agreement with nonprofit organizations to
provide funding pursuant to subsection (b).
(d) The employers of first
responder personnel may utilize
existing educational and training resources available in the public and private
sectors when developing the training required under this section."]
SECTION 8. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 9. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000.
Report Title:
Dementia; Alzheimer's Disease; First Responder Training; Executive Office on Aging; HIEMA; Counties; Law Enforcement Standards Board; DOH
Description:
Requires the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, fire chiefs, Law Enforcement Standards Board, and Department of Health to provide or require the provision of at least one hour of dementia‑specific training for first responders, including law enforcement officers, fire first responders, and emergency medical services personnel. Requires the Executive Office on Aging to take certain steps when reviewing and recommending dementia-specific training curricula. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.