HB646 • 2026

RELATING TO SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME.

Active

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

Sponsor: MARTEN, AMATO, GRANDINETTI, HOLT, IWAMOTO, OLDS, PERRUSO, POEPOE, TAKAYAMA
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's effective date of July 1, 3000, is likely an error or placeholder that requires further clarification from the sponsors.

Automatic Enrollment in Medicaid for SSI Recipients

This bill requires the Department of Human Services to automatically enroll people who receive federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits into Hawaii's Medicaid program.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Department of Human Services to automatically enroll individuals receiving federal SSI benefits in the state’s Medicaid program.
Allows the department to authorize the Social Security Administration to handle automatic enrollment for these individuals.
Ensures that no additional application or criteria are needed from SSI recipients to join Medicaid.
Requires the department to submit reports on progress and implementation of this new process to the Legislature.

Who It Names or Affects

People who receive federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits in Hawaii
The Department of Human Services

Terms To Know

Supplemental Security Income (SSI): A program that provides monthly payments to people with little or no income and resources who are disabled, blind, or aged.
Medicaid: A government health insurance program for low-income individuals and families.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if the Social Security Administration is unable to handle automatic enrollment.
It is unclear how many SSI recipients in Hawaii will be affected by this change.
The effective date of July 1, 3000, appears to be a placeholder and needs clarification.

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 State to automatically enroll people who receive federal Supplemental Security Income benefits into Hawaii's Medicaid program within thirty days of receiving eligibility notification from the Social Security Administration.

The Department of Human Services must automatically enroll individuals who receive federal Supplemental Security Income benefits in the state’s Medicaid program, or authorize the Social Security Administration to do so.
Individuals will not need to submit a separate application for Medicaid after receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits.

The amendment specifies an effective date of July 1, 3000, which seems incorrect and likely needs correction in the future.
Details on how the automatic enrollment process will be implemented are not provided.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-10 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 Representative(s) Belatti, Cochran, Kila, Ward excused (4).
2025-02-10 H
Reported from HSH (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 256) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2025-02-04 H
The committee on HSH recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Marten, Olds, Amato, Chun, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Takayama, Takenouchi, Alcos, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2025-01-31 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HSH on Tuesday, 02-04-25 9:30AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to HSH, FIN, referral sheet 2
2025-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-17 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME.
DHS; Supplemental Security Income Program; Medicaid; Automatic Enrollment; Reports
Requires the Department of Human Services to automatically enroll, or authorize the Social Security Administration to automatically enroll, in the State's Medicaid program any individual in the State who receives federal Supplemental Security Income benefits. Requires reports to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB646

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

646

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to
Supplemental Security Income.

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

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SECTION 1.
�
The
legislature finds that the State does not automatically enroll federal supplemental
security income (SSI) program participants into the State's medicaid program.
�
The federal SSI program is an important
program that provides monthly payments to people who have little or no income
or resources and who have a disability or are an older adult, and financial
eligibility is based on national criteria.
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However, the medicaid program, which provides health insurance to
low-income individuals, is administered at the state level, resulting in varying
medicaid eligibility policies across different states.

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The legislature further finds that thirty-three
states and Washington, D.C. automatically enroll federal SSI recipients into medicaid
based on notification from the Social Security Administration.
�
In fact, section 1634 of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 1383(c)) authorizes states to enter into automatic enrollment
agreements with the Social Security Administration.
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However, Hawai
ʻ
i
residents who participate in the federal SSI program must complete a separate
application for medicaid and wait for the application to be processed.

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According to research reported in the
Social Security Bulletin, requiring a separate application for medicaid may
limit enrollment due to the additional burden of completing the application.
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Medicaid participation in states without
automatic enrollment is significantly lower than in states that automatically
enroll federal SSI program participants into their state medicaid programs.

����
The purpose of this Act is to require the State
to automatically enroll federal supplemental security income program
participants in the State's medicaid program.

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SECTION 2.
�

Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section
to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

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"
�346-
�
Enrollment
of federal supplemental security income program participants in medicaid.
�
The
department shall automatically enroll, or authorize
the Social
Security Administration to automatically enroll,

in the State's medicaid program any
individual in the State who receives federal s
upplemental security
income benefits.
�
The enrollment shall be
within thirty days of receipt of notification of the individual's eligibility
for federal supplemental security income benefits from the Social Security
Administration.
�
The department shall not
require federal supplemental security income program participants to submit an additional
application or fulfill additional criteria in order to enroll in medicaid.
"

����
SECTION 3.
�

The department of human services shall submit a report on its progress
made to implement this Act to the legislature no later than forty days prior to
the convening of the regular sessions of 2026 and 2027.

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SECTION 4.
�

New statutory material is underscored.

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SECTION 5.
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This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DHS;
Supplemental Security Income Program; Medicaid; Automatic Enrollment; Reports

Description:

Requires
the Department of Human Services to automatically enroll, or authorize the
Social Security Administration to automatically enroll, in the State's Medicaid
program any individual in the State who receives federal Supplemental Security
Income benefits.
�
Requires reports to the
Legislature.

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