HB1279 • 2026

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Budget Education Healthcare

Active

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

Sponsor: TAKENOUCHI, HASHEM, HOLT, KAPELA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KILA, KITAGAWA, KUSCH, LA CHICA, LAMOSAO, MARTEN, MIYAKE, OLDS, POEPOE, TAKAYAMA, TARNAS, TEMPLO, TODD
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill text does not specify the exact amount of funding for the medical education liaison position beyond stating it is a full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE).

Establishing a Medical Education Liaison Position

This bill establishes a medical education liaison position at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine to support programs that use teams of specialists to mentor primary care providers and other health professionals, and it appropriates funds for this purpose.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a full-time medical education liaison position within the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine.
The liaison will organize sessions statewide for participating programs, coordinate communications between healthcare providers and specialists, develop strategies to expand program reach, assist in data collection and analysis, and perform other duties as needed.
Appropriates funds for a full-time medical education liaison position for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.
Provides $200,000 each year to support programs that use teams of medical specialists to mentor primary care providers and other health professionals.

Who It Names or Affects

The University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine
Primary care providers in Hawaii
Healthcare professionals who participate in the supported programs

Terms To Know

Medical Education Liaison: A person responsible for supporting medical education programs that help primary care providers and other health professionals through mentorship and guidance.
Project ECHO: A program that uses telemonitoring to provide ongoing support from specialists to primary care clinicians, helping them manage complex conditions in their communities.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact amount of funding for the medical education liaison position beyond stating it is a full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE).
It is unclear how many primary care providers and healthcare professionals will be directly impacted by this new position.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-05 H
The committee(s) on HED recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.
2025-01-31 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HED on Wednesday, 02-05-25 2:00PM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-27 H
Referred to HED, FIN, referral sheet 4
2025-01-23 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-22 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO HEALTH.
University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine; Medical Education; Liaison; Established; Appropriation ($)
Establish a medical education liaison position within the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine to support programs that utilize a team of medical specialists to support primary care providers and other health care professionals through mentorship and guidance. Appropriates funds.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1279

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1279

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to health
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that, in Hawaii, there
are gaps in specialty care, especially in endocrinology, rheumatology,
gastroenterology, and behavioral health.
�
Specialists and patients utilize costly travel
to and from the Honolulu urban hub to provide and receive specialty care.

����
The legislature further finds that
there are programs that provide medical education and help to improve
healthcare delivery to underserved and remote areas.
�
One such program is Project Extension for
Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO).
�
Project
ECHO is a hub and spoke model that been able to achieve outcomes at primary
care sites equal to those at academic medical centers for complex conditions
such as hepatitis and diabetes.
�
Utilizing
ongoing telemonitoring, primary care clinicians who participate through Project
ECHO develop expertise in complex disease management and become recognized within
their communities as local resources for patients requiring specialized care.
�
Supporting programs like Project ECHO will
bolster the knowledge and use of specialty care by health providers in Hawaii,
especially in rural and remote areas of the State.

����
The purpose of this Act is to:

����
(1)
�
Establish and fund a medical education liaison
position; and

����
(2)
�
Appropriate funds to support
programs that utilize a team of medical
specialists to support primary care providers and other health care
professionals through mentorship and guidance.

����
SECTION 2.
�
Chapter 304A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

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"
�304A-
�
Medical
education; liaison.
�
(a)
�
There

is established within the university of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine
a full-time medical education liaison position.

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(b)
�

The medical education liaison shall be responsible for supporting participating
programs that utilize a team of medical specialists to support primary care
providers and other health care professionals through mentorship and
guidance.
�
The liaison's responsibilities
shall include:

����
(1)
�
Organizing
sessions statewide for participating programs;

����
(2)
�
Coordinating
communications between healthcare providers and specialists;

����
(3)
�
Developing and
implementing strategies to expand the reach of participating programs;

����
(4)
�
Assisting in
the collection and analysis of data to evaluate any participating program's
outcomes; and

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(5)
�
Performing any
other duties as necessary to support the effective operation of participating
programs.
"

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SECTION 3.
�
There is appropriated out of the general
revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of
$ 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 one full-time
equivalent (1.0 FTE) medical education liaison position established pursuant to
section 304A- , Hawaii Revised Statutes.

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The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the university of Hawaii for the
purposes of this Act.

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SECTION 4.
�
There is appropriated out of the general
revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $200,000 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 to support programs that utilize a
team of medical specialists to support primary care providers and other health
care professionals through mentorship and guidance.

����
The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the university of Hawaii for the
purposes of this Act.

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SECTION 5.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

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SECTION 6.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

University
of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine; Medical Education; Liaison;
Established; Appropriation

Description:

Establish
a medical education liaison position within the University of Hawaii John A.
Burns School of Medicine to support programs that utilize a team of medical
specialists to support primary care providers and other health care
professionals through mentorship and guidance.
�

Appropriates funds.

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