STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2849

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2272

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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2272 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOME HEALTH LICENSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Department of Health to accept the accreditation of home health agencies from accreditation and certification organizations recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Health, State Health Planning and Development Agency, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that home health agencies must be licensed at both the federal and state level. Allowing an accrediting organization's certification at the federal level to be recognized for state licensure purposes, as proposed in this measure, not only preserves high standards but also avoids unnecessary duplication.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the accreditation organization or certification organization should be approved, rather than recognized, by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as suggested in written comments from the Department of Health; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2272, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2272, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair