RELATING TO THE HEALTHCARE EDUCATION LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.

Education Healthcare Labor

Active

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

Sponsor: TAKAYAMA, AMATO, BELATTI, GARRETT, ILAGAN, IWAMOTO, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KILA, LEE, M., LOWEN, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MIYAKE, MORIKAWA, OLDS, PERRUSO, POEPOE, REYES ODA, SAYAMA, SOUZA, TAM, TARNAS
Last action: 2026-04-21
Official status: Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 717).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide details about loan repayments above $50,000 or the consequences of leaving early.

Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program Changes

This bill requires healthcare professionals who receive loan repayment assistance to work in Hawaii for a minimum period based on the amount of financial help they get.

What This Bill Does

Formally codifies the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program.
Requires healthcare workers getting new awards after July 1, 2027, to stay and work in Hawaii for at least two years if their loan repayment is between $1,000 and $50,000.
Requires healthcare workers getting more than $50,000 in loan repayment assistance to stay and work in Hawaii for at least three years.

Who It Names or Affects

Healthcare professionals who receive loan repayment assistance from the program after July 1, 2027.
The state government that runs and funds the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program.

Terms To Know

healthcare professional: An individual licensed or certified under Hawaii law to provide healthcare services.
loan repayment: Funds provided by the state for healthcare professionals to repay educational loans in exchange for a commitment to work in Hawaii.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if a healthcare professional leaves Hawaii before completing their required service period.
It is unclear how this will affect healthcare workers who received assistance before July 1, 2027.
The exact number of years for loan repayments between $50,001 and higher amounts is not detailed.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment requires healthcare professionals participating in the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program to commit to working in Hawaii for a minimum period based on the amount of financial assistance they receive.

Healthcare professionals receiving between $1,000 and $50,000 in loan repayment assistance must work in Hawaii for at least two years.
Healthcare professionals receiving more than $50,000 in loan repayment assistance must work in Hawaii for at least three years.

The amendment specifies that the new requirements will take effect on July 1, 3000, which seems to be an error or placeholder and should likely be a future date closer to enactment.
There is no explanation provided for why the effective date is set so far in the future.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: This amendment establishes minimum service requirements for healthcare professionals participating in the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program, based on the amount of financial assistance they receive.

Healthcare professionals receiving between $1,000 and $50,000 in loan repayment assistance must commit to practicing in Hawaii for at least two years starting July 1, 2027.
Healthcare professionals receiving more than $50,000 in loan repayment assistance must commit to practicing in Hawaii for at least three years starting July 1, 2027.

The amendment specifies new requirements but does not provide details on how the program will be administered or enforced.
There is a discrepancy between the effective date mentioned in the bill (July 1, 3000) and the practical implementation starting July 1, 2027.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Healthcare professionals receiving between $1,000 and $50,000 in loan repayment assistance must commit to practicing in Hawaii for at least two years.
Healthcare professionals receiving more than $50,000 in loan repayment assistance must commit to practicing in Hawaii for at least three years.

The amendment does not specify the exact rules and requirements for administering the program beyond these service commitments.

SD2

Hawaii published version SD2

Plain English: The amendment establishes minimum service requirements for healthcare professionals participating in the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program after July 1, 2027, with longer commitments required for larger loan repayment amounts.

Healthcare professionals receiving between $1,000 and $50,000 in loan repayment assistance must commit to practicing in Hawaii for at least five years.
Healthcare professionals receiving more than $50,000 in loan repayment assistance must commit to practicing in Hawaii for at least seven years.

The amendment text is truncated and does not provide complete details beyond the specified requirements for new awards after July 1, 2027.
It's unclear how existing participants will be affected by these changes.

Bill History

2026-04-21 H
Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 717).
2026-04-21 S
Senate Conferees Appointed: Kim Chair; McKelvey, Kidani Co-Chairs; DeCorte.
2026-04-20 S
Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 786).
2026-04-20 H
House Conferees Appointed: Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy Co-Chairs; Alcos.
2026-04-17 S
Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 780).
2026-04-16 H
House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).
2026-04-14 H
Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 587) in amended form (SD 2).
2026-04-14 S
Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2026-04-09 S
48 Hrs. Notice 04-14-26.
2026-04-09 S
Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3687) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).
2026-04-06 S
The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 12 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Richards, Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Lee, C..
2026-04-01 S
The committee(s) on WAM deferred the measure until 04-06-26 10:31AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2026-03-30 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2026-03-30 S
The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-01-26 10:03AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2026-03-30 S
Reported from EDU/HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3394) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2026-03-25 S
The committee(s) on EDU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EDU were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Kim, Hashimoto, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Kidani, Fukunaga.
2026-03-25 S
The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HHS were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, McKelvey, Kanuha, Keohokalole, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-03-20 S
The committee(s) on EDU/HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 03-25-26 1:10PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2026-03-12 S
Referred to EDU/HHS, WAM.
2026-03-12 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-12 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 246).
2026-03-10 H
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Pierick excused (1). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-10-26.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1080-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-02-27 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 15 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Lee, M..
2026-02-24 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Friday, 02-27-26 10:00AM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-18 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-02-18 H
Reported from HLT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 344-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-11 H
The committee on HLT recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Amato, Hartsfield, Marten, Olds, Takenouchi, Alcos, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-02-06 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HLT on Wednesday, 02-11-26 9:00AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-26 H
Referred to HLT, FIN, referral sheet 1
2026-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-16 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE HEALTHCARE EDUCATION LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.
Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program; Healthcare Professionals; Minimum Service Requirements
Formally codifies the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program. Requires a participant in the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program who receives a new award on or after July 1, 2027, to remain and work in the State for a certain number of years based on the amount of financial assistance received. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD2)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1574

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1574

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to the healthcare education loan repayment program
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that a
persistent workforce shortage in the healthcare industry has created
difficulties for patients in accessing care, including specialized care such as
behavioral health services.
�
One reason
providers often cite for the difficulty of practicing in Hawaii is financial
hardship, with the high cost of living frequently driving providers to leave
the State.

����
The
legislature further finds that, for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, the legislature
appropriated a total of $30,000,000 to fund the healthcare education loan
repayment program.
�
This program supports
healthcare professionals across most fields of practice in Hawaii by helping
them repay their educational loans in exchange for providing healthcare
services in the state.
�
For fiscal years
2026 and 2027, the legislature appropriated an additional $30,000,000 to
continue this support.
�
The healthcare
education loan repayment program has been successful in improving the lives of
healthcare professionals in the State and making it easier for these
professionals to remain and practice in Hawaii.

����
The
legislature also finds that, since the inception of the healthcare education
loan repayment program, nine hundred twenty-eight resident healthcare
professionals have been assisted by the program.
�
The average amount of indebtedness for
certain disciplines who were awarded ranges from $179,400 (physicians), $93,500
(advanced practice registered nurses), $138,400 (physician assistants),
$170,600 (psychologists), $41,300 (nurses), and $94,600 (other healthcare
professionals).
�
The average loan
repayment amount for all recipients to date is $49,000.
�
All participants in the healthcare education
loan repayment program are required to commit to remaining in Hawaii for two
years to work within their profession, regardless of the amount of assistance
they receive through the program.

����
The
legislature believes that establishing a sliding scale of work commitments,
based on the amount of loan repayment assistance participants receive, is in
the best interest of the State.
�

Healthcare professionals who receive greater loan repayment assistance
should be required to serve for a longer period in Hawaii, thereby promoting
continuity of care for residents and enabling providers to better understand
and address community needs.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to establish minimum service requirements for
participants in the healthcare education loan repayment program receiving new
awards on or after July 1, 2027, with the duration of required service
determined by the total amount of loan repayment assistance received.

����
SECTION 2.
�
(a)
�
Any
healthcare professional who participates in the healthcare education loan
repayment program shall be required to remain and practice within their
licensed profession in the State for a minimum period as follows:

����
(1)
�
No less than two years for healthcare
professionals who receive total loan repayment assistance in an amount between
$1,000 and $50,000; and

����
(2)
�
No less than three years for healthcare
professionals who receive total loan repayment assistance in an amount of $50,001
and above.

����
(b)
�
For the purposes of this section:

����
"Healthcare
education loan repayment program" means the program established and funded
by the State to provide financial assistance to healthcare professionals for
repayment of educational loans incurred in pursuit of a healthcare degree or
credential, in exchange for a commitment to practice in Hawaii for a specified
period.

����
"Healthcare
professional" means an individual who is licensed, certified, or otherwise
authorized under the laws of the State to provide healthcare services,
including but not limited to physicians, physician assistants, advanced
practice registered nurses, nurses, psychologists, and other allied health care
providers.

����
"Licensed
profession" means the healthcare occupation or field in which a healthcare
professional is authorized to practice under the laws and regulations of the
State.

����
"Loan
repayment" means funds provided to a healthcare professional under the
healthcare education loan repayment program for the purpose of repaying
outstanding educational loans related to their health care training.

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2027.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Healthcare
Education Loan Repayment Program; Healthcare Professionals; Minimum Service
Requirements

Description:

Requires
a participant in the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program to remain and
work in the State for a certain number of years based on the amount of
financial assistance received.

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