STAND. COM. REP. NO. 51-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1541

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. 1541 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exempt certain positions in the Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health and Hawaii State Hospital from civil service.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Hospital. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii State Hospital and Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health serve some of the State's most vulnerable populations. Your Committee further finds that certain unfilled positions within the Hawaii State Hospital and Developmental Disabilities Division do not fit into existing civil service classes because their duties and responsibilities are highly specialized and often require advanced professional knowledge, unique skill sets, and flexibility beyond the scope of standardized classifications. The exemption provided by this measure will allow the Department of Health and Hawaii State Hospital to fill critical leadership and operational roles and allow the State to strengthen the Department's ability to implement federal initiatives, enhance security and risk management in high-risk clinical settings, and improve outcomes for Hawaii residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

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. 1541, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1541, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Labor.

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

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair