STAND. COM. REP. NO. 308-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1961

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. 1961 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit persons from interfering with another person's access to a health care facility and establish civil and criminal penalties for violations.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Plus Commission; AAUW of Hawaiʻi; HOKU PAC; Hawaiʻi Nurses Association, OPEIU Local 50; Healthcare Association of Hawaii; Indivisible Hawaiʻi; Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates - Hawaiʻi; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Hawaiʻi Section; Hawaii Primary Care Association; Pride at Work - Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi State Democratic Women's Caucus; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and one individual.

Your Committee finds that medical care is a personal decision determined by a patient and the patient's provider. Your Committee further finds that no person should be obstructed, harassed, or intimidated when seeking medical care, and no health care provider or facility should be prevented from carrying out its lawful purpose. Interference with access to medical care undermines personal autonomy, erodes public trust, and places vulnerable individuals at heightened risk. This measure protects individuals' access to health care facilities, safeguards the uninterrupted delivery of medical services, and establishes clear legal remedies when interference causes harm.

Your Committee acknowledges the concern raised by Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates that because existing state law already prohibits excessive noise and trespass in contexts outside of interfering with a health care facility, including those elements as part of the prohibited acts that constitute interference with a health care facility may be duplicative and create confusion with enforcement.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing excessive noise and trespass from the prohibited acts provision of this measure;

(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. 1961, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1961, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair