KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Hawaii

HB112 • 2026

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

Budget
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
ICHIYAMA
Last action
2025-12-08
Official status
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide detailed information about staffing, volunteer numbers, or user projections for the warm line.

Funding for a Statewide Mental Health Warm Line

This bill provides funding to the Department of Health to establish and operate a free statewide mental health warm line that offers non-emergency support.

What This Bill Does

  • Appropriates $250,000 from state funds for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to set up and run a free statewide mental health warm line.
  • The warm line will provide non-emergency mental health support over the phone.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Health
  • People who use the mental health warm line

Terms To Know

Warm Line
A free, confidential phone service that provides non-emergency mental health support.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the number of users or staff requirements for running the warm line.
  • It is unclear if there are sufficient volunteers and staff to operate a statewide warm line.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  2. 2025-01-21 H

    Referred to HLT, FIN, referral sheet 1

  3. 2025-01-16 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

  4. 2025-01-14 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
DOH; Warm Line; Mental Health; Appropriations ($)
Appropriates funds to the Department of Health to establish and operate a free statewide mental health warm line to provide mental health support in non-emergency situations.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB112

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

112

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO the department of health
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION 1.
�
The
legislature finds that there is a need for a statewide "warm line" to
provide nonclinical mental health support over the telephone for non-emergency
situations.
�
A "warm line" is a
confidential, free phone service offering mental health support to individuals
who are experiencing psychological distress but are not actively in danger of
harming themselves or others.

����
A mental health warm line differs from a mental
health crisis line or hotline.
�
A crisis
line or hotline generally provides services to individuals who require
immediate assistance from a licensed professional, safety planning, or a
referral to a secondary agency or care provider.
�
A mental health warm line is intended for
callers who need someone to talk to but who are not actively in crisis and do
not need to go to the emergency room or call 911.
�
A warm line is typically staffed by
volunteers or paid peers who have personal experience with mental health
disorders.

����
The legislature also finds that the
department of health established a warm line that is separate from the Hawai
ʻ
i
CARES 988 crisis line to assist the Maui community following the 2023 Maui
wildfires, and that there exists a gap in the available mental health system in
the State that necessitates the establishment of a statewide warm line.
�

����
Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to
appropriate funds to the department of health to establish and operate a free statewide
mental health warm line.

����
SECTION 2.
�

There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii
the sum of $250,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year
2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal
year 2026-2027 for the equipment, training, and operational expenses necessary
to establish and operate a mental health warm line that is available statewide
at no cost to users.

����
The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the
purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION 3.
�

This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DOH; Warm
Line; Mental Health; Appropriations

Description:

Appropriates
funds to the Department of Health to establish and operate a free statewide
mental health warm line to provide mental health support in non-emergency
situations.
�

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.