STAND. COM. REP. NO. 31-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 218

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 218 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOSPITALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require any hospital licensed by the Department of Health that has an operating room to adopt and implement policies to prevent exposure to surgical smoke.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and Healthcare Association of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that surgical smoke, a byproduct of surgical procedures that use lasers or other electrosurgical devices, contains hazardous chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde. Your Committee further finds that exposure to surgical smoke presents a significant health risk for health care professionals conducting a surgical operation and to the patients receiving the operation. This measure is intended to reduce the potential health risks posed by surgical smoke by requiring all licensed hospitals in the State that have an operating room to adopt and implement polices to control and evacuate surgical smoke.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Authorizing a licensed hospital to use a smoke evacuation system or other appropriate measure to address surgical smoke;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) 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 Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 218, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 218, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair