STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3754

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1858

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1858, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VITAL STATISTICS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the various requirements of a fetal death, including registration of certain fetal deaths, and issuance of a permit for removal, burial, or other disposition.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children, Hawaii Medical Association, ʻAhahui o nā Kauka, Hawaiʻi State Center for Nursing, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaii Women's Coalition, Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and ten individuals.

Your Committee finds that Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders experience some of the highest fetal death rates nationwide. However, the State does not currently possess complete or accurate data to fully understand or address the reasons behind these disparities.  Existing law governing fetal death reporting is grouped under general death reporting, creating confusion, extra work, and privacy issues.  This measure will revise existing laws to increase the time allowed for reporting fetal deaths, providing health care professionals with enough time to thoroughly investigate their causes, collect better-quality data, and develop effective strategies to lower fetal death rates across communities in the State.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1858, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair