HB1977 • 2026

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Budget

Active

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

Sponsor: KAPELA, AMATO, BELATTI, GRANDINETTI, HASHEM, ICHIYAMA, ILAGAN, MIYAKE, PERRUSO, PIERICK, POEPOE, SAYAMA, SOUZA, TAKAYAMA, TAKENOUCHI
Last action: 2026-03-12
Official status: Referred to HHS, WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about daily user data collection and mobile platform compatibility beyond general requirements.

Health Department Mobile App for Maternal and Infant Care

This bill requires the Health Department to create a mobile app by January 1, 2027, that provides information on federal and state health programs and resources for prenatal, pregnant, and postpartum individuals and their families.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Health Department to procure a mobile app with info on federal and state health programs and resources for prenatal, pregnant, and postpartum individuals and their families.
The app must be available in multiple languages and work on different types of phones.
Health Department needs to collect data about monthly users and send an annual report to lawmakers before every regular session.

Who It Names or Affects

Prenatal, pregnant, and postpartum individuals and their families who are eligible for Medicaid.
The Health Department of Hawaii.

Terms To Know

Qualified individuals: Prenatal, pregnant, and postpartum individuals and their families who are eligible for Medicaid.
Request for Proposals (RFP): A document the Health Department uses to ask companies to create a mobile app that meets certain requirements.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if the Health Department cannot find a suitable app by January 1, 2027.
It is unclear how the data collected will be used beyond reporting to lawmakers.

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 the Department of Health to create a mobile application by January 1, 2027, providing information about federal and state health programs for pregnant women and new mothers.

The Department of Health must procure a maternal and infant health information mobile app starting no later than January 1, 2027.
The app will provide resources and support to eligible individuals in multiple languages on various platforms.
The department is required to collect data from the app users and submit annual reports to the legislature.

The bill specifies an effective date of July 1, 3000, which seems incorrect or a placeholder and needs clarification.

Bill History

2026-03-12 S
Referred to HHS, WAM.
2026-03-12 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-12 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 332).
2026-03-10 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Kong, Pierick excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1081-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-05 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 15 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Perruso.
2026-03-03 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Thursday, 03-05-26 2:00PM 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. 360-26) 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.
2026-01-28 H
Referred to HLT, FIN, referral sheet 3
2026-01-26 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-23 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO HEALTH.
DOH; Maternal and Infant Health Information Mobile Application; Mobile Pregnancy Application; Request for Proposals; Appropriation ($)
Requires the Department of Health to procure a Maternal and Infant Health Information Mobile Application by 1/1/2027 to provide qualified individuals with information on federal and state programs and resources for prenatal, pregnant, and postpartum individuals and their families. Requires DOH to issue a request for proposals. Authorizes DOH to procure or otherwise contract for an existing mobile pregnancy application. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1977

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1977

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to health
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
Chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes,
is amended by adding a new part to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

"
Part .
�
maternal and infant health information mobile
application

����
�321-A
�
Definitions.
�

For the purposes of this part:

����
"Department" means the department
of health.

����
"Mobile application" means the
maternal and infant health information mobile application procured by the
department pursuant to this part.

����
"Qualified individuals" means
prenatal, pregnant, and postpartum individuals and their families who are
eligible for medicaid.

����
�321-B
�

Maternal and infant health information mobile application; procurement;
function.
�
(a)
�
Beginning no later than ,
the department shall procure a maternal and infant health information mobile
application to provide information on federal and state maternal and infant
health programs and resources available to qualified individuals.

����
(b)
�

The mobile application shall:

����
(1)
�
Be capable of delivering education, resources,
and support to qualified individuals, including information specific to the
State such as links to programs offered by the department or other state
agencies for prenatal, pregnant, and postpartum individuals;

����
(2)
�
Include information and resources that meet
acceptable clinical standards of care for prenatal, pregnant, and postpartum
individuals and infants, including standards of care established by the federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health,
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Medical
Association, and American Academy of Pediatrics;

����
(3)
�
Be available in multiple languages; and

����
(4)
�
Be available on all applicable mobile
platforms.

����
�321-C
�
Data collection.
�
The department shall collect the
following data from the mobile application:

����
(1)
�
The number of monthly users;

����
(2)
�
The number of daily users;

����
(3)
�
The number of users currently enrolled in
medicaid;

����
(4)
�
The number of users engaging in state specific
content;

����
(5)
�
The number of users seeking additional
information about enrollment in medicaid or other available federal or state
resources;

����
(6)
�
The average length of time a user uses the
mobile application; and

����
(7)
�
Any other information required by the
department or other state agencies.

����
�
321-D
�
Annual report; confidentiality.
�
(a)
�

Beginning with the regular session of , the
department shall provide to the legislature an annual report summarizing the
information collected pursuant to 321-C no later than twenty days prior to the
convening of each regular session.

����
(b)
�
Any reports submitted to the legislature
under this section shall be limited to de-identified and aggregated data and
shall not directly contain or indirectly result in the disclosure of personally
identifiable information.

����
�321-E
�
Fees.
�
(a)
�

No user of the mobile application shall be charged a fee for the use of
the mobile application.

����
(b)
�
The
department shall pay the vendor of the mobile application a per user per month
fee of no more than $10 per user per month for the use of the mobile
application.

����
�
321-F
�
Rules.
�

The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 for the
purposes of this part."

����
SECTION
2.
�
(a)
�

The department of health shall issue a request for proposals to carry
out the purposes of this Act within one hundred eighty days of the effective
date of this Act.

����
(b)
�
The department of health may procure or
otherwise contract for an existing mobile pregnancy application to carry out
the purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION
3.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $150,000 or so much thereof
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the department of health to
carry out the purposes of this Act.

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

����
SECTION 4.
�
In codifying the new sections added by
section 1 of this Act, the revisor of statutes shall substitute appropriate
section numbers for the letters used in designating the new sections in this
Act.

����
SECTION 5.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DOH; Maternal
and Infant Health Information Mobile Application; Mobile Pregnancy Application;
Request for Proposals; Appropriation

Description:

Requires
the Department of Health to procure a Maternal and Infant Health Information
Mobile Application to provide qualified individuals with information on federal
and state programs and resources for prenatal, pregnant, and postpartum
individuals and their families.
�
Requires
DOH to issue a request for proposals.
�

Authorizes DOH to
procure or otherwise contract for
an existing mobile pregnancy
application.
�
Appropriates funds.

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not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.