HB1349 • 2026

RELATING TO MEDICAID.

Budget Children

Active

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

Sponsor: KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, AMATO, MARTEN, TAKAYAMA
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 specific details about the amount of funding or the exact number of individuals who will be affected.

Expanding Medicaid Coverage

This bill provides funding to the Department of Human Services to cover income-qualified pregnant people and children through Medicaid and CHIP, regardless of their immigration status.

What This Bill Does

Appropriates funds for the Department of Human Services to provide Medicaid coverage through the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to income-eligible pregnant individuals and children without regard to their immigration status.

Who It Names or Affects

Income-qualified pregnant people and children who are not U.S. citizens or legal residents.
The Department of Human Services, which will manage the program.

Terms To Know

Medicaid: A government health insurance program for low-income individuals and families.
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP): A federal program that provides health coverage to children in families who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact amount of funding needed.
It is unclear how many people will be eligible and benefit from this change.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment appropriates funds to provide Medicaid coverage through the Children's Health Insurance Program to income-qualified pregnant persons and children regardless of their immigration status.

Appropriates money from state general revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to cover Medicaid costs for income-eligible pregnant individuals and children who are otherwise ineligible due to their immigration status.

The exact amount of funds appropriated is not specified in the amendment text.
The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) appears incorrect or symbolic; it likely needs correction for actual implementation timing.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-03-17 S
The committee(s) on HHS deleted the measure from the public hearing scheduled on 03-17-25 1:00PM; CR 225 & Videoconference.
2025-03-11 S
The committee(s) on HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 03-17-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2025-03-04 S
Referred to HHS, WAM.
2025-03-04 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-03-04 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 166).
2025-02-28 H
Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Reyes Oda voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Matsumoto, Muraoka, Shimizu voting no (5) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick, Templo, Ward excused (4). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-28 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 972), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-02-24 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 14 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Reyes Oda; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Alcos; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward.
2025-02-21 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Monday, 02-24-25 12:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-11 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with Representative(s) Reyes Oda, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Matsumoto, Muraoka, Pierick voting no (5) and Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).
2025-02-11 H
Reported from HSH (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 413) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2025-02-06 H
The committee on HSH recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Marten, Olds, Amato, Chun, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Takayama, Takenouchi; Ayes with reservations: none; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia; and 0 Excused: none.
2025-01-31 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HSH on Thursday, 02-06-25 10:00AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-27 H
Referred to HSH, FIN, referral sheet 4
2025-01-23 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO MEDICAID.
DHS; Medicaid Coverage; Children's Health Insurance Program; Pregnant Persons; Children; Immigration Status; Appropriation ($)
Appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services to authorize Medicaid coverage through the Children's Health Insurance Program to income-qualified pregnant persons and children regardless of immigration status. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1349

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1349

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to medicaid
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that access to
high-quality health care that is accessible, affordable, and equitable is of
paramount importance to public health and wellness.
�
However, the legislature also finds that
approximately five hundred pregnant persons in the State are denied access to
affordable health care through medicaid, the children's health insurance
program, and health insurance exchanges established under the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act, P.L. 111-148, because of their immigration
status.
�
Evidence-based studies show that
low-income immigrants without access to prenatal care are seven times more
likely to give birth prematurely and five times more likely to experience
neonatal death, which demonstrates that limited access to health care for
pregnant persons and their newborn children significantly increases the risk of
exposure to life-threatening situations.

����
The
legislature further finds that as of May 2024, twenty-
four states plus the District of Columbia provide
medicaid coverage to all income-qualified pregnant residents regardless of
their immigrant status.
�
In Hawaii, the
daily-average cost of a neonatal intensive care unit stay is between $7,000 and
$8,000.
�
The department of human services
estimates the cost of providing income-qualified pregnant persons with health
insurance coverage and twelve months of postpartum care at $1,364,000
annually.
�
Increasing access to health
insurance coverage to include income-qualified pregnant persons will reduce barriers
and increase access to health care for resident immigrant populations in the
State.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the department of human services
to authorize medicaid coverage through the children's health insurance program to
income-qualified pregnant persons and children regardless of immigration
status.

����
SECTION
2.
�
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 to provide medicaid
coverage through the children's health insurance program for income-qualified
pregnant persons who are otherwise ineligible due to their immigration status.

����
The sums

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

����
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 to provide
medicaid coverage through the children's health insurance program for
income-qualified children who are otherwise ineligible due to their immigration
status.

����
The sums

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

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DHS;
Medicaid Coverage; Children's Health Insurance Program; Pregnant Persons;
Children; Immigration Status; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates
funds to the Department of Human Services to authorize Medicaid coverage through
the Children's Health Insurance Program to income-qualified pregnant persons
and children regardless of immigration status.

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