Weekly Recap 

From Hawaii Family Forum, January 24, 2020

Bill Introduction Cut-Off! All Bills In!

January 23rd - Bill Introduction Cutoff Last day for a bill to be filed with the House or Senate Clerk. After being filed, a bill is given a number (with an HB or SB prefix) and scheduled for First Reading in the originating chamber. Bills must survive at least three Readings (votes) on the floor of each chamber. Following First Reading, each bill is referred to committee(s). 

Upcoming Legislative Deadlines

FEB 6 - TRIPLE REFERRAL FILING (BILLS) - All bills referred to three or more committees must be filed so that they can be in their second-to-last committee by the following day. (Note: A referral to a joint committee counts as one committee referral.) This deadline allows ample time for successful bills to make their way to the last committee in their originating chamber by the First Lateral deadline. 

FEB 14 - FIRST LATERAL (BILLS) - All bills referred to more than one committee (i.e., those with multiple referrals) must move to their final committee in the originating chamber by this day.

Thousands of bills introduced: Here's a few you should know about...

In Hawaii, only legislators (51 Representatives, 25 Senators) can introduce bills, and they have a limited time during the legislative session in which to do so.  Yesterday, January 23, 2020, was the final date for new bills to be introduced. 

The list below is just a BRIEF snapshot of some of the bills introduced (and who introduced them).  There are many more good and bad bills we are monitoring.  More information will be sent out when the bills start to move.  To see a list of all the bills we are tracking at this point, visit this link.  (Please note that this list is early in the session so it will change.)

BILLS THAT PROTECT LIFE

HB2231 | RELATING TO ABORTION
Requires that a mother be informed of whether her fetus has a detectable heartbeat prior to consenting to an abortion. Provides for criminal penalties against a physician or surgeon who performs an abortion without obtaining informed consent relating to fetal heartbeat. 
Introduced by: Rep. Bob McDermott

SB2237 | RELATING TO CHILDREN.
Ensures the protection and promotion of the health and well-being of all infants born alive in the State. Mandates medically appropriate and reasonable life-saving and life-sustaining medical care and treatment to all born alive infants. Establishes civil and criminal penalties.
Introduced by:  Senator(s) Fevella and Kim

SB2238 | RELATING TO THE TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY.
Prohibits the abortion of a fetus that is capable of feeling pain. Prohibits abortions by dismemberment. Provides certain exceptions. Establishes penalties.
Introduced by Senator Fevella

SB2394 | RELATING TO LIMITED SERVICE PREGNANCY CENTERS.
Repeals sections 321-561 and 321-562, Hawaii Revised Statutes. (This repeals SB 501 - the bill that forced pregnancy resource centers to act contrary to their religious belief.)
Introduced by: Senator(s) Harimoto & Riveire

ABORTION EXPANSION

HB2684 | RELATING TO HEALTH CARE.
Authorizes advanced practice registered nurses and other licensed qualified health care providers to perform abortions.
Introduced by: Representative(s): ICHIYAMA, DECOITE, HASHIMOTO, D. KOBAYASHI, C. LEE, LOWEN, NAKAMURA, ONISHI, SAN BUENAVENTURA, TAKAYAMA, TAKUMI, TARNAS, TODD, Wildberger

SB2984 | RELATING TO HEALTH CARE.
Authorizes advanced practice registered nurses and other licensed qualified health care providers to perform abortions.
Introduced by: Senator(s): BAKER, S. Chang, Moriwaki, L. Thielen

FORCED CONTRACEPTIVE COVERAGE

SB2539 | RELATING TO HEALTH CARE.
Requires health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for a comprehensive category of reproductive health services, drugs, devices, products, and procedures. Prohibits discrimination in the provision of reproductive health care services. Effective 3/15/2021.
Introduced by Senator(s) Baker & Shimabukuro

HB2676  |  RELATING TO HEALTH CARE.
Requires health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for a comprehensive category of reproductive health services, drugs, devices, products, and procedures. Prohibits discrimination in the provision of reproductive health care services. Effective 3/15/2021.

Introduced by:  Representative(s): SAIKI, ICHIYAMA, C. LEE

PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE: EXPANSION

SB3047 | RELATING TO HEALTH.
Allows an advance directive to be a valid written request for a prescription to be self-administered for the purpose of ending an adult's life. Includes advanced practice registered nurses under the definition of "attending provider". Allows an attending provider to waive the counseling referral requirement. Allows an attending provider to perform duties through telehealth, under certain conditions. Requires health insurance policies and contracts issued after December 31, 2020, to provide coverage for services related to ending a patient's life.
Introduced by: Senator(s): BAKER, K. RHOADS, Kidani, Moriwaki

SB542 | RELATING TO HEALTH (introduced last year - still alive)
Requires reimbursement for prescriptions issued pursuant to the our care, our choice act, regardless of the prescription drug coverage provisions of the patient's health insurance. Establishes penalties for pharmacies and pharmacists, or their agents, that refuse to honor prescriptions issued under the our care, our choice act.
Introduced by: BAKER, S. CHANG, KIDANI, K. Kahele, Nishihara, Ruderman, Shimabukuro

HB2451 | RELATING TO HEALTH.
Explicitly authorizes advanced practice registered nurses, in addition to physicians, to practice medical aid in dying in accordance with their scope of practice and prescribing authority. Reduces the mandatory waiting period between oral requests made by a terminally ill individual to fifteen days. Allows the attending provider to waive the waiting period for terminally ill individuals not expected to survive the mandatory waiting period.
Introduced by: Representative(s): TAKAYAMA, BELATTI, BROWER, CABANILLA, ARAKAWA, CREAGAN, HOLT, ICHIYAMA, LOWEN, MCKELVEY, MIZUNO, MORIKAWA, NAKASHIMA, NISHIMOTO, SAN BUENAVENTURA, SAY, TARNAS, WILDBERGER, Hashimoto

SB2582 | RELATING TO HEALTH.
Authorizes advanced practice registered nurses, in addition to physicians, to practice medical aid in dying in accordance with their scope of practice and prescribing authority. Reduces the mandatory waiting period between oral requests from twenty days to fifteen days. Waives the mandatory waiting period for those terminally ill individuals not expected to survive the mandatory waiting period.
Introduced by: Senator(s) BAKER, NISHIHARA, K. RHOADS

LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

HB2104 | RELATING TO AN ADVISORY REFERENDUM ON CANNABIS IN HAWAII.
Requires an advisory referendum consisting of a question to be placed on the ballot for the general election of 2020 on whether the electorate wishes the State to legalize the sale and use of recreational cannabis in Hawaii.
Introduced by: Representative(s); MIZUNO, BROWER, CABANILLA ARAKAWA, CREAGAN, GATES, C. LEE, LOWEN, MCKELVEY, SAN BUENAVENTURA, TARNAS, TODD, WARD, Tokioka

SB2360
Marijuana; Legalization
RELATING TO MARIJUANA.
Legalize the personal use, possession, and sale of marijuana in a specified quantity. Requires licensing to operate marijuana establishments. Subjects marijuana establishments to excise taxes and income taxes.
Introduced by: Senator(s): ENGLISH, IHARA, KANUHA, KEITH-AGARAN, J.KEOHOKALOLE, Kim

GAMBLING

HB2640 | RELATING TO LEGALIZED GAMBLING.
Establishes a task force within the department of business, economic development, and tourism to study and recommend to the legislature the feasibility of authorizing controlled legalized gambling in the State, including offshore gambling and a state lottery system, to generate revenues for pay raises for teachers and police officers. Appropriates funds for the study.
Introduced by: Representative(s): KONG, CREAGAN, DECOITE, MIZUNO, SAY, Brower, San Buenaventura

SB2669  | RELATING TO GAMING.
Establishes the Hawaii lottery and gaming corporation for the purpose of conducting gambling in Hawaii. Allocates proceeds to capital improvements at public schools and the University of Hawaii system, scholarships and educational loan repayments for medical students who practice in Hawaii for ten years, support for the family practice rural residency program, watershed protection, and reduction and prevention of problem gambling.
Introduced by: Senator(s): KEITH-AGARAN, KANUHA, KIDANI, Nishihara

Take Action!

Register to submit testimony online! (How to!)

The 30th Legislature for the State of Hawaii has begun and bills will start popping for hearing very soon.  In order to submit testimony, you have to be registered on the capitol website.  It only takes a few short minutes to register, so if you have not done so already, we are encouraging you to do it now.  To make it easy, Hawaii Family Forum has created a tutorial on how to register to submit testimony online at capitol.hawaii.gov.

If you are already registered, make sure you have signed up to receive hearing notices.  If you need help with registering, you can visit this webpage.

From Around the Nation

Family Research Council Reports on Fetal Dignity: Hawaii WEAK!

According to Family Research Council, many states have stepped forward to enact laws which recognize the inherent dignity of the unborn by reaffirming their basic humanity. The map below outlines HAWAII as reported by FRC:

• Prohibiting the transfer of fetal tissue harvested from the unborn during an abortion
• Requiring the remains of the unborn after an abortion to be buried or cremated
• Banning public funding for aborted fetal tissue research
• Prohibiting the sale or profit of aborted baby body parts
• Providing death certificates for stillborn and miscarried babies

All five types of laws are important to recognizing and protecting the dignity of unborn children. Click on a state to see whether and how it protects fetal dignity. For more information, read their Issue Analysis here.

Proclamation on National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2020

Presidential Actions: Issued on: January 21, 2020 Every person - the born and unborn, the poor, the downcast, the disabled, the infirm, and the elderly - has inherent value.  Although each journey is different, no life is without worth or is inconsequential; the rights of all people must be defended.  On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our Nation proudly and strongly reaffirms our commitment to protect the precious gift of life at every stage, from conception to natural death. Read the full proclamation here.

Proclamation on Religious Freedom

Presidential Actions: Issued on January 15, 2020 From its opening pages, the story of America has been rooted in the truth that all men and women are endowed with the right to follow their conscience, worship freely, and live in accordance with their convictions.  On Religious Freedom Day, we honor the foundational link between freedom and faith in our country and reaffirm our commitment to safeguarding the religious liberty of all Americans. Read full proclamation here.