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Hawaii2026Enacted

HB1973

KupunAloha Pilot Program for In-Home Care

Last scannedAug 24, 2026, 11:30 PM

In one sentence

This law creates a one-year pilot program within the Department of Health to provide in-home health care and support services for eligible individuals who cannot afford them and do not qualify for other government assistance.

What it does

  • Establishes the KupunAloha Pilot Program inside the Department of Health.
  • Provides money from state general revenues ($2 million) to pay for in-home health care and support services.
  • Requires the department to create a plan of care for each eligible applicant.
  • Allows the department to refer applicants to providers or contract with them to provide these services.
  • Sets rules that stop people covered by Medicare, those who do not meet income requirements, or those who do not meet need requirements from joining.

Who it affects

  • Individuals in Hawaii who need help at home but cannot afford it and do not qualify for existing government programs.
  • People specifically excluded if they are covered by Medicare or fail to meet income or need rules set by the department.
  • The Department of Health, which must run the program and report on its results.

Limits and unknowns

  • The program ends on June 30, 2027.
  • The Department of Health has not yet set the exact income or need rules for who can join.
  • Only $2 million was provided to fund the program.

Plain language

Terms to know

Pilot Program
A test version of a project that runs for one year to see if it works before deciding whether to make it permanent.
Appropriation
Money set aside by the government from its general funds, in this case $2 million, to pay for specific things like this program.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill textStored full record

Official summary

RELATING TO HEALTH. DOH; KupunAloha Pilot Program; In-Home Care Services; Appropriation ($) Establishes within the Department of Health a one-year KupunAloha Pilot Program to provide in-home health care and support services to eligible participants who do not otherwise qualify for government assistance for these services. Appropriates funds for the pilot program. Pilot program sunsets 6/30/2027. (CD1)

Official activity

Bill history

  1. Act 246, on 07/14/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1348).H
  2. Act 246, 07/14/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1348).S
  3. Received notice of passage on Final Reading in House (Hse. Com. No. 888).S
  4. Transmitted to Governor.H
  5. Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 816).H
  6. Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . 0 No(es): none. 0 Excused: none.S
  7. Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).H
  8. 48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 05-06-26S
  9. Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 176-26).S
  10. Forty-eight (48) hours notice Wednesday, 05-06-26.H
  11. Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 176-26) as amended in (CD 1).H
  12. The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 2 Aye(s): Senator(s) McKelvey, Moriwaki; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.S
  13. The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 4 Ayes: Representative(s) Takayama, Marten, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Alcos; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.H
  14. Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday 05-01-26 3:45PM in conference room 329.H
  15. Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Thursday 04-30-26 4:00PM in conference room 329.H
  16. Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Tuesday, 04-28-26 3:45PM in conference room 329.H
  17. Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 725).H
  18. Senate Conferees Appointed: McKelvey Chair; Moriwaki Co-Chair; Fevella.S
  19. Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 786).S
  20. House Conferees Appointed: Takayama, Marten, Keohokapu-Lee Loy Co-Chairs; Alcos.H

Changes

Amendments

3 stored

CD1

This amendment creates a one-year test program called KupunAloha to pay for in-home health care for elderly people who cannot afford it and do not qualify for other government help.

HD1

This amendment creates a one-year test program called KupunAloha to give in-home health care help to elderly people who cannot afford it and do not qualify for other government programs.

SD1

This amendment creates a one-year test program called KupunAloha to help elderly people in Hawaii who cannot afford home care services.