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

HB2006 • 2026

RELATING TO CHILD WELL-BEING.

RELATING TO CHILD WELL-BEING.

Children Housing
Active

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

Sponsor
KAPELA, AMATO, BELATTI, EVSLIN, GRANDINETTI, HASHEM, HUSSEY, ICHIYAMA, ILAGAN, IWAMOTO, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KUSCH, MORIKAWA, PERRUSO, POEPOE, SOUZA, TAKAYAMA, TEMPLO
Last action
2026-02-12
Official status
The committee(s) on HSH recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify how the program will be funded.

Hawaii Rx Kids Program

This bill requires the Department of Human Services to create a program that provides financial support to expectant mothers through unconditional payments during pregnancy and for up to one year after their child's birth.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a Hawaii Rx kids program run by the Department of Human Services.
  • Provides a one-time payment of $1,500 to each expectant mother during her pregnancy.
  • Offers six monthly payments of $500 starting from when their child is born and continuing until the child's sixth month of life.
  • If there are enough funds available, provides an additional six monthly payments of $500 for the next six months after that.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Expectant mothers who qualify based on income or Medicaid benefits.
  • Households with very young children in Hawaii.

Terms To Know

Unconditional payment
A payment that does not require the recipient to meet certain conditions to receive it.
Cost-of-living adjustments
Changes made to payments based on increases in living costs, like rent or food prices.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the program will be funded.
  • It is unclear if and when the bill will become law since it has been deferred by a committee.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-12 H

    The committee(s) on HSH recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.

  2. 2026-02-10 H

    Bill scheduled to be heard by HSH on Thursday, 02-12-26 10:30AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  3. 2026-01-28 H

    Referred to HSH, FIN, referral sheet 3

  4. 2026-01-26 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

  5. 2026-01-23 H

    Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO CHILD WELL-BEING.
Hawaii Rx Kids Program; Expectant Mothers; Households; Payments; Department of Human Services
Requires the Department of Human Services to establish and administer a Hawaii Rx kids program to improve the economic stability of households with very young children who reside in the State through a one-time payment and several monthly payments.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB2006

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2006

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to child well-being
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�

The legislature finds that pregnancy and early childhood are the most
financially fragile periods in a family's life, yet also the most critical for
a child's long-term development.
�
Scientific
research and global experience demonstrate that direct support during these
formative years yields lifelong benefits for children and society as a whole.
�
The legislature further finds that while over one
hundred forty countries - representing seventy per cent of the world - provide
direct child benefits, Hawaii continues to see alarming rates of economic
instability among new families, including the highest concentration of
houseless individuals being infants.

����
Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to
establish the Hawaii Rx kids program to provide direct financial support to all
expectant mothers, ensuring every child in the State has a healthy and secure
start to life.

����
SECTION 2.
�
Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to part I to be appropriately designated and to
read as follows:

����
"
�346-
�
Hawaii
Rx kids program; expectant mothers; households; payments.
�
(a)
�
The department shall establish and administer
a Hawaii Rx kids program to improve the economic stability of households with
very young children who reside in the State.

����
(b)
�

The Hawaii Rx kids program shall provide:

����
(1)
�
A one-time
unconditional
payment of $1,500 to each expectant mother during pregnancy;

����
(2)
�
Six
monthly
payments of $500 beginning at the child's birth and continuing through the
child's sixth month of life; and

����
(3)
�
Subject to available
funds, six additional
monthly payments of $500 through the child's
twelfth month of life;

provided that the department may make
cost-of-living adjustments to the payment amounts.

����
(c)
�
The department may contract with a
third-party administrator to operate and manage the Hawaii Rx kids program;
provided that the cost of administering the program shall not exceed fifteen
per cent of the total program costs.

����
(d)
�
Any plan for expenditure of temporary
assistance for needy families funds developed pursuant to section 346‑51.5(b)(1)
shall be updated to account for expenditures for household payments.
�
The expenditure of funds for the
administration of household payments shall be exempt from chapters 103D and
103F.
�
Payments under the program that
are sourced from temporary assistance for needy families funds may only be made
to expectant mothers:

����
(1)
�
Who qualify for
benefits under the State's medicaid program; or

����
(2)
�
Whose family
income does not exceed three hundred per cent of the federal poverty level for
a family of applicable size, including the expected unborn child or children.

����
(e)
�
The department may establish rules as
necessary pursuant to chapter 91 for the administration of the program.
"

����
SECTION 3.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Hawaii Rx
Kids Program; Expectant Mothers; Households; Payments; Department of Human
Services

Description:

Requires
the Department of Human Services to establish and administer a Hawaii Rx kids
program to improve the economic stability of households with very young
children who reside in the State through a one-time payment and several monthly
payments.

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