STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3503

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 59

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 Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 59 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES TO AUTHORIZE CERTAIN HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS TO ENGAGE IN THE PRACTICE OF THEIR RESPECTIVE PROFESSIONS IN THE STATE WITHOUT A HAWAII-ISSUED LICENSE DURING A STATE OF EMERGENCY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Governor to establish procedures to authorize certain health care professionals to engage in the practice of their respective professions in the State without a Hawaii-issued license during a state of emergency.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Red Cross of Hawaiʻi.

Your Committee finds that the State faces increasing threats from emergencies and disasters, which strain the State's limited health care capacity. To effectively respond to these emergencies and disasters, the State must quickly mobilize health care professionals and other resources. In past emergencies and disasters, the Governor has facilitated mobilization of health care professionals through emergency proclamations allowing health care professionals licensed in other jurisdictions to practice in the State. However, relying on ad hoc proclamations may cause delays in responding to future disasters and emergencies. This measure makes a valuable contribution to emergency management and disaster preparedness by requesting the Governor to preemptively establish procedures to waive state licensure requirements during emergencies and disasters.

Your Committee notes the testimony of the Red Cross of Hawaiʻi expressing concerns that the authorization requested in this measure may be too narrow and logistically complex to effectively respond to disasters. Given the growing frequency and intensity of disasters in the State, it is essential that this measure requests authorization with greater flexibility, particularly for emergency response organizations. Amendments are therefore necessary to ensure that emergency authorization for health care organizations and professionals to participate in the State's emergency response.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Governor is requested to:

(A) Establish procedures to authorize mental health professionals, instead of mental health counselors, to practice without a Hawaii-issued license during a state of emergency or local state of emergency; and

(B) Require any individual engaging in the practice of their respective profession in the State under the emergency procedures to be affiliated with a qualified volunteer organization, as defined by the Governor or Department of Health consistent with the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act;

(2) Clarifying that the authorization to practice under the emergency procedures established by the Governor is requested to expire only upon termination of the emergency declaration;

(3) Inserting language requesting the Department of Health to authorize individuals affiliated with a recognized emergency response organization that maintains an internal credentialing system that includes current licensure, confirmation that the professional's license is unencumbered, and other relevant verification to practice during a state of emergency or local state of emergency; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 59, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 59, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs,

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CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair