HB2488 • 2026

RELATING TO THE DISABILITY AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS BOARD.

Active

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

Sponsor: MORIKAWA, AMATO, HARTSFIELD, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, MARTEN, MIYAKE, OLDS, PERRUSO, TAKAYAMA, TAKENOUCHI, TEMPLO
Last action: 2026-03-30
Official status: Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

RELATING TO THE DISABILITY AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS BOARD.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO THE DISABILITY AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS BOARD.
DCAB; Study; Deaf; Hard-of-Hearing; Deaf-Blind; Effective Communication in Health Care Guidance; Report Requires the Disability and Communication Access Board to study the health care communication needs of patients who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or deaf-blind.
Requires a report to the Legislature.
Effective 7/1/3000.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: HB2488 HD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB2488 HD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
2488 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DISABILITY AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS BOARD .

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: HB2488 HD2 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB2488 HD2 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
2488 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DISABILITY AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS BOARD .

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: HB2488 SD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB2488 SD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
2488 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII S.D.

Bill History

2026-03-30 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2026-03-30 S
Reported from HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3327) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
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: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, McKelvey, Kanuha; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Keohokalole, Fevella.
2026-03-20 S
The committee(s) on HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 03-25-26 1:40PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
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. 428).
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) Kong, Pierick excused (2). 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. 1072-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-02-26 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 11 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 5 Excused: Representative(s) Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Yamashita, Alcos.
2026-02-24 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Thursday, 02-26-26 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 HSH/HLT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 381-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-05 H
The committee on HLT recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Hartsfield, Marten, Olds, Takenouchi, Alcos, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Amato.
2026-02-05 H
The committee on HSH recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Marten, Olds, Hartsfield, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Takayama, Takenouchi, Alcos, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Amato.
2026-02-02 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HSH/HLT on Thursday, 02-05-26 10:00AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-02 H
Referred to HSH/HLT, FIN, referral sheet 6
2026-01-28 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE DISABILITY AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS BOARD.
DCAB; Study; Deaf; Hard-of-Hearing; Deaf-Blind; Effective Communication in Health Care Guidance; Report
Requires the Disability and Communication Access Board to study the health care communication needs of patients who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or deaf-blind. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2488

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2488

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO THE DISABILITY AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS BOARD
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The disability
and communication access board shall conduct a study of the communication needs
of individuals who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, and deaf-blind in health care
settings.
�
The study shall include
consideration of:

����
(1)
�
The
availability in the State of sign language interpreters, tactile interpreters,
and other services and auxiliary aids that serve the needs of the State's deaf,
hard-of-hearing, and deaf-blind communities;

����
(2)
�
The
patients' preferences;

����
(3)
�
Any
special communication needs of in-patients in hospitals and skilled nursing
facilities who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, and deaf-blind;

����
(4)
�
The
legal duty for health care providers to provide patients who are deaf, hard-of-hearing,
or deaf-blind with auxiliary aids and services, including qualified sign
language interpreters, to ensure effective communication; and

����
(5)
�
Any
recommended revisions to the current guidance for health care providers to
ensure effective communication that better addresses the needs of patients who
are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or deaf-blind.

����
SECTION 2.
�

The disability and communication access board shall submit a report of
its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the
legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular
session of
2027.

����
SECTION 3.
�

This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DCAB; Study;
Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and Deaf-Blind; Effective Communication in Health Care
Guidance; Report

Description:

Requires
the Disability and Communication Access Board to study the health care
communication needs of patients who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or deaf-blind.
�
Requires a report to the Legislature 20 days
prior to the 2027 Regular Session.

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