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

HB1538 • 2026

RELATING TO HOSPITAL LICENSING.

RELATING TO HOSPITAL LICENSING.

Healthcare
Active

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

Sponsor
TAKAYAMA
Last action
2026-01-26
Official status
Referred to HLT, CPC, referral sheet 1
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on specific inspection exemptions or conditions under which inspections may occur.

Hospital Licensing Changes

This bill requires the Department of Health to allow hospitals to use accreditation or certification from organizations recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to show they meet state licensing requirements.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Health to adopt rules allowing hospitals to demonstrate compliance with all state licensing inspections through accreditation or certification from any organization recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Hospitals in Hawaii
  • The Department of Health

Terms To Know

Accreditation
A process where an organization is checked and approved by a recognized group to show it meets certain standards.
Certification
Similar to accreditation, but often refers to meeting specific requirements set by a professional or regulatory body.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify which organizations are recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
  • It is unclear how many hospitals will choose to use this new option instead of regular state inspections.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-26 H

    Referred to HLT, CPC, referral sheet 1

  2. 2026-01-21 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

  3. 2026-01-14 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO HOSPITAL LICENSING.
Hospital Licensing; Department of Health; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Accreditation Organizations; Certification Organizations; Licensing Inspections
Requires the Department of Health to adopt rules to allow hospitals to demonstrate compliance with all licensing inspections required by the State through accreditation or certification by any accreditation or certification organization recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB1538

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1538

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to hospital licensing
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that The Joint
Commission is the most widely used accreditation organization for hospitals in
the United States.
�
The legislature
further finds that other accreditation organizations have been recognized by
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and also provide accreditation
to hospitals.
�
These organizations
include the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Center for Improvement in
Healthcare Quality, and DNV GL Healthcare.
�

Currently, The Joint Commission is the only accreditation organization
authorized in the State to provide accreditation that demonstrates a hospital's
compliance with all licensing inspections required by the State.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to require the department of health to adopt rules
to allow hospitals to demonstrate compliance with all licensing inspections
required by the State through accreditation or certification by any
accreditation or certification organization recognized by the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services.

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section 321-14.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsections (c) to (e) to read as follows:

����
"
(
c)
�
The rules [
may
]
shall
provide that
accreditation
or certification
by [
The Joint Commission
]
an
accreditation or certification organization recognized by the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services
demonstrates a hospital's compliance with all
licensing inspections required by the State.
�

The rules may exempt a hospital from a licensing inspection on a continuing
basis throughout the term of the accreditation
or certification
under the
following conditions:

����
(1)
�
The hospital provides
the department with a certified copy of the hospital's official accreditation
or
certification
report [
from The Joint Commission
];

����
(2)
�
The hospital continuously
holds full accreditation [
by The Joint Commission;
]
or certification
and provides the department with a certified copy of the hospital's official
accreditation or certification report;
and

����
(3)
�
The hospital holds
a current and valid state license.

����
(d)
�
The rules shall provide that the department may
conduct inspections and investigations of exempt hospitals [
to investigate
]

regarding
complaints, [
follow up on
] adverse accreditation
or
certification
findings, or [
conduct
] periodic validation surveys.

����
(e)
�

Information contained in reports of survey and official accreditation
or
certification
letters made by [
The Joint Commission
]
an accreditation
organization or a certification organization recognized by the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services that are
used in determining compliance with
licensing requirements shall be public information."

����
SECTION 3.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Hospital
Licensing; Department of Health; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services;
Accreditation Organizations; Certification Organizations; Licensing Inspections

Description:

Requires
the Department of Health to adopt rules to allow hospitals to demonstrate
compliance with all licensing inspections required by the State through
accreditation or certification by any accreditation or certification
organization recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

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