WEEKLY RECAP

From Hawaii Family Forum, March 6, 2020

Legislative Crossing: Bills Start Over Again in the Opposite Chamber

On Thursday, March 5, 2020, all bills that are alive should have crossed over to the opposite chamber where the process will start all over again.  Bills will be assigned committees and then hearings will start up again.  Listed below are bills that have made it to this point and the final votes in the originating chamber.

Assisted Suicide Expansion Bill Passes Senate

SB 2582 SD1 Relating to Health

On February 28, 2020, SB 2582 SD1, the bill to expand assisted suicide in Hawaii, passed the Senate.  The final vote in the Senate was as follows:
19 Ayes;
1 Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Moriwaki; 
4 Noe(s), Senator(s) Fevella, Harimoto, Kim, Riviere;
2 Excused, Senator(s) Gabbard, Ihara.

STATUS:  The bill passed first reading in the House and is awaiting committee assignments.

Parental Consent for Minor Health Therapy

HB 2043 HD2: Relating to Adolescent Mental Health

On February 28, 2020, HB 2043 HD2, the bill that allows an unlicensed mental health professional, working under the supervision of a licensed mental health professional, to provide mental health treatment or counseling services to minors without parental or legal guardian consent, knowledge, or participation passed the House. The final vote in the House was as follows:
42 Ayes; 1 Aye with reservation:  Representative(s) Okimoto;
4 Noes; Representative(s) Eli, Gates, Matsumoto, McDermott;
4 excused; Representative(s) Cabanilla Arakawa, DeCoite, Holt, Thielen 

STATUS:  The bill has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Consumer Protection and Health and the a joint committee of the Senate Judiciary & the Senate Ways & Means.

Mandated Abortion Coverage

SB 2539 SD1 Relating to Healthcare

On March 3, 2020, the Senate passed SB 2539 SD1, that bill that mandates 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. 
The final vote in the Senate was as follows:
Ayes, 24;
Noes, 1 (Senator(s) Gabbard)

STATUS:  The bill passed first reading in the House and is awaiting committee assignments.

Upcoming Legislative Deadlines:

MAR 9 - BUDGET DECKING - Deadline for submitting the budget bill for third reading.
MAR 11 - BUDGET CROSSOVER - Last day for third reading of the budget bill in order to move to the other chamber.
MAR 12 - 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 in the non-originating chamber 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 their last committee by the Second Lateral deadline

FROM AROUND THE NATION

U.S. Supreme Court's Oral Argument on Abortion Case

Russo v. June Medical Services LLC

On Wednesday, March 4, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral argument in an abortion case out of Louisiana, June Medical Services v. Russo. The case challenges a Louisiana law that requires abortion doctors to have hospital admitting privileges. 

Hawaii Family Forum, along with the Louisiana Family Forum and several other Family Policy Councils, submitted an The issue is whether the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit's decision upholding Louisiana's law requiring physicians who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a local hospital conflicts with the Supreme Court's binding precedent in