KA ‘AHA KENEKOA
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2026
|
Senator Joy A. San Buenaventura, Chair |
|
Senator Angus L.K. McKelvey, Vice Chair |
|
Senator Jarrett Keohokalole, Chair |
|
Senator Carol Fukunaga, Vice Chair |
NOTICE OF HEARING
|
DATE: |
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 |
|
TIME: |
9:45 AM |
|
PLACE: |
Conference Room 229 & Videoconference State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
|
TIMESLOT: |
CPN |
PHOTO ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE STATE CAPITOL
BUILDING HOURS: 7AM TO 5PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY
The Legislature is accepting written, videoconference, and in-person testimony at public hearings.
A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel.
A G E N D A
|
RELATING TO CANNABIS. Establishes the Hawaii Cannabis and Hemp Office within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to regulate all aspects of the cannabis plant. Contingent upon specific changes at the federal level or a state constitutional amendment, legalizes the personal adult use of cannabis and decriminalizes certain marijuana-related offenses. Beginning 1/1/2027, establishes taxes on cannabis sales. Adds new traffic offenses relating to the consumption or possession of marijuana or marijuana concentrate. Transfers the personnel and assets of the Department of Health and assets of the Department of Agriculture relating to cannabis and hemp to the Hawaii Cannabis and Hemp Office. Establishes various positions within state entities. Appropriates funds. |
CPN/HHS, WAM/JDC |
|
|
RELATING TO CANNABIS. Beginning January 1, 2027, legalizes the cultivation, sale, processing, purchasing, possession, transport, and use of low-dose and low-potency cannabis for personal adult use by persons over the age of twenty-one. Legalizes cannabis accessories. Legalizes the cultivation of low-dose and low-potency cannabis for personal adult use. Requires the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to adopt rules to effectuate the legalization of low-dose and low-potency cannabis.
|
CPN/HHS, WAM/JDC |
|
|
RELATING TO THE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT LICENSURE COMPACT. Authorizes the Governor to enter the PA Licensure Compact to create a comprehensive process that complements the existing licensing authority of the state medical board and provides a streamlined process that allows a PA to become licensed in multiple states, thereby enhancing the portability of a PA license and ensuring the safety of patients.
|
CPN/HHS, WAM/JDC |
|
|
RELATING TO PRIMARY CARE. Requires all health carriers to allocate, initially, not less than 6% of the carrier's total medical expenditures to primary care providers, with the percentage increasingly incrementally to 12%. Requires health carriers to pay primary care providers directly, rather than through administrative mechanisms. Places restrictions on downcoding and claim modifications. Requires health carriers to ensure access to primary care in rural areas, including access to Primary Care Access Visits and Community Access Primary Care Sites. Requires Insurance Commissioner to administer requirements established in bill. Requires the Department of Human Services Med-QUEST Division to apply the Act, to the extent permitted by federal law and subject to any federal approvals, to Medicaid managed care organizations. Requires reports. Requires the Auditor to evaluate the impact of the Act on various metrics 3 years after the measure's effective date. Establishes the primary care stabilization special fund.
|
HHS/CPN, WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO ENERGY ASSISTANCE. Establishes the Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program within the Department of Human Services to assist qualifying households in paying their energy bills. Requires the Public Utilities Commission Public Benefits Fee Administrator to provide certain information and assistance to recipients of the program.
|
HHS/CPN, WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH'S AUTHORITY TO REGULATE FOOD, DRUGS, AND COSMETICS. Removes duplicative food-related statutory material and aligns all food-related provisions under chapter 328, HRS. Ensures adequate statutory authority for permits, fees, inspections, and enforcement.
|
HHS/CPN, WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. Prohibits contracts between child welfare service organizations and the State from including state indemnification clauses or requiring the State to be an additional insured under child welfare service organization insurance policies. Eliminates joint and several liability for child welfare service organizations by limiting liability to each organization's percentage share of damages.
|
HHS/CPN, WAM/JDC |
|
|
RELATING TO CANNABINOIDS. Allows any hemp processor with a permit from the Department of Health to sell certain manufactured hemp products that contain a tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than five milligrams per serving. Prohibits the sale of certain manufactured hemp products to any person less than twenty-one years of age. Includes processed floral materials as "manufactured hemp products". Increases the maximum tetrahydrocannabinol concentration for tinctures to five milligrams per serving.
|
HHS/CPN, WAM/JDC |
|
|
RELATING TO HEALTH CARE COSTS. Establishes the Prescription Drug Affordability Board within the Department of Health to conduct affordability reviews on high-cost prescription drugs and establish upper payment limits under certain circumstances. Establishes out-of-pocket maximums for prescribed insulin, asthma inhalers, and epinephrine auto-injectors. Prohibits copayment adjustment programs. Requires health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to comply with certain affordability measures. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Requires adoption of rules by the Affordability Board and Insurance Commissioner. Appropriates funds.
|
HHS/CPN, WAM/JDC |
|
|
RELATING TO PREVENTIVE MEDICINE. Establishes the Hawaii Preventive Services Advisory Committee and authorizes the Department of Health to issue preventive service recommendations. Requires health insurance coverage without cost-sharing for Department of Health-recommended clinical preventive services. Provides immunity for healthcare providers' and facilities' provision of recommended clinical preventive services.
|
HHS/CPN, JDC/WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO CANNABIS. Allows applicants or primary caregivers to make a one-time purchase of medical cannabis after the submission of the applicant's certification form while waiting for confirmation of registration from the Department of Health. Requires the Office of Medical Cannabis Control and Regulation to facilitate the temporary authorization.
|
HHS/CPN, JDC |
Decision Making to follow, if time permits.
All testimony received by the Hawai‘i Senate is posted on the Hawai‘i Legislature's website, which is accessible to the public. Please do not include private information that you do not want disclosed to the public.
Please go to the Legislature's website, https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov, to submit written testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. Create a free account on the website, or sign in to an existing account, then click on the "Participate" drop down menu and select the "Submit Testimony" option to get started. While submitting your written testimony, you will be prompted to indicate if you would also like to testify at the hearing in-person or remotely via videoconference.
Please note the following:
· The number of oral testifiers and/or time allotted to each testifier may be limited by the Chair when necessary to adhere to the committee hearing schedule. We may not be able to accommodate everyone who requests to testify orally.
· Testifiers for this hearing will be limited to 1 minutes each.
If you wish to testify via videoconference during the hearing, please review the detailed step-by-step instructions for testimony procedures before you submit your written testimony. Here's a direct link to the instructions: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/docs/testimonyinstructions.pdf
For general help navigating the committee hearing process, please contact the Public Access Room at (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov. You can also visit their website at https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par/.
For special assistance: The cable TV broadcast and/or live stream of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, please call the committee clerk at the telephone number listed below or email HHScommittee@capitol.hawaii.gov. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.
For amended notices: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are underscored. If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has been deleted from the agenda.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT 808-586-6890.
|
_____________________________________ Senator Jarrett Keohokalole Chair |
|
_____________________________________ Senator Joy A. San Buenaventura Chair |
|
|
|
|