SB2271 • 2026

RELATING TO HOSPITAL LICENSING.

Healthcare

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: SAN BUENAVENTURA, KIDANI, MCKELVEY, Chang, Hashimoto
Last action: 2026-05-08
Official status: Enrolled to Governor.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on specific inspection exemptions for hospitals or the public disclosure of accreditation and certification report information.

Hospital Licensing Changes

This bill requires the Department of Health to allow hospitals to use accreditation or certification from organizations recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to show they meet state licensing requirements.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Department of Health to create rules that let hospitals prove they follow all state licensing inspections through accreditation or certification by approved groups.
Allows hospitals to avoid some state inspections if they have a valid accreditation or certification report from an organization recognized by CMS.

Who It Names or Affects

Hospitals that want to use accreditation or certification from organizations recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to meet state licensing requirements.
The Department of Health which will need to create new rules and conduct inspections as needed.

Terms To Know

Accreditation: A process where an organization evaluates a hospital's quality and safety standards.
Certification: Similar to accreditation, it is a formal recognition that a hospital meets certain standards set by an organization.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if a hospital loses its accreditation or certification.
It's unclear how the new rules will be implemented and enforced after July 1, 2026.
The impact on hospitals that do not seek accreditation or certification from CMS-recognized organizations is not addressed.

Amendments

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

CD1

Hawaii published version CD1

Plain English: SB2271 CD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2271 CD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2271 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII H.D.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: SB2271 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2271 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2271 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII H.D.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: SB2271 HD2 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2271 HD2 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2271 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII H.D.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: SB2271 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2271 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2271 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOSPITAL LICENSING .

Bill History

2026-05-08 S
Enrolled to Governor.
2026-05-08 S
Received notice of passage on Final Reading in House (Hse. Com. No. 888).
2026-05-06 H
Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 816).
2026-05-06 H
Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-05-06 S
Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . 0 No(es): none. 0 Excused: none.
2026-05-01 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Wednesday, 05-06-26.
2026-05-01 H
Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 221-26) as amended in (CD 1).
2026-05-01 S
48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 05-06-26.
2026-05-01 S
Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 221-26).
2026-05-01 H
The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 3 Ayes: Representative(s) Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Alcos; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Matayoshi.
2026-05-01 S
The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 2 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, Kanuha; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.
2026-04-30 H
Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday 05-01-26 4:30PM in conference room 329.
2026-04-29 H
Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Thursday, 04-30-26 4:30PM in conference room 329.
2026-04-22 H
Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 720).
2026-04-21 S
Senate Conferees Appointed: San Buenaventura Chair; Kanuha Co-Chair; Fevella.
2026-04-20 S
Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 787).
2026-04-20 H
House Conferees Appointed: Takayama, Matayoshi, Keohokapu-Lee Loy Co-Chairs; Alcos.
2026-04-20 H
Re-referred to HLT, CPC, FIN, referral sheet 30
2026-04-16 H
Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 710).
2026-04-16 S
Senate disagrees with House amendments.
2026-04-16 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 642).
2026-04-14 H
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-04-10 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 04-14-26.
2026-04-10 H
Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2116-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-04-07 H
The committee on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 11 Ayes: Representative(s) Matayoshi, Grandinetti, Chun, Ilagan, Ichiyama, Kong, Lowen, Marten, Tam, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Iwamoto; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-04-02 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by CPC on Tuesday, 04-07-26 2:05PM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-24 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on CPC with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Garrett, Quinlan excused (2).
2026-03-24 H
Reported from HLT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1350-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC.
2026-03-20 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; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-03-17 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HLT on Friday, 03-20-26 9:30AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-12 H
Referred to HLT, CPC, referral sheet 17
2026-03-12 H
Pass First Reading
2026-03-10 H
Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 203) in amended form (SD 1).
2026-03-10 S
Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2026-03-05 S
48 Hrs. Notice 03-10-26.
2026-03-05 S
Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2848) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 1).
2026-03-02 S
The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 13 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Richards, Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-02-27 S
The committee on WAM has rescheduled its decision making to 03-02-26 10:02AM; CR 211 & Videoconference.
2026-02-23 S
The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 03-02-26 10:31AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2026-02-17 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading and referred to WAM.
2026-02-17 S
Reported from HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2294) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading and referral to WAM.
2026-02-06 S
The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in HHS were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, McKelvey, Keohokalole, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Kanuha.
2026-02-03 S
The committee(s) on HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 02-06-26 1:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2026-01-26 S
Referred to HHS, WAM.
2026-01-21 S
Introduced and passed First Reading.
2026-01-15 S
Pending Introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO HOSPITAL LICENSING.
DOH; Hospitals; Licensing Inspections; CMS; Accreditation Organizations; Certification Organizations
Requires the Department of Health to adopt rules to allow hospitals to demonstrate compliance with all licensing inspections required by the State through accreditation or certification by any accreditation or certification organization approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (CD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB2271

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2271

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to hospital licensing
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that The Joint
Commission is the most widely used accreditation organization for hospitals in
the United States.
�
The legislature
further finds that other accreditation organizations have been recognized by
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and also provide accreditation
to hospitals.
�
These organizations
include the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Center for Improvement in
Healthcare Quality, and DNV GL Healthcare.
�

Currently, The Joint Commission is the only accreditation organization
authorized in the State to provide accreditation that demonstrates a hospital's
compliance with all licensing inspections required by the State.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to require the department of health to adopt rules
to allow hospitals to demonstrate compliance with all licensing inspections
required by the State through accreditation or certification by any
accreditation or certification organization recognized by the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services.

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section 321-14.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsections (c) to (e) to read as follows:

����
"
(
c)
�
The rules [
may
]
shall
provide that
accreditation
or certification
by [
The Joint Commission
]
an
accreditation or certification organization recognized by the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services
demonstrates a hospital's compliance with all
licensing inspections required by the State.
�

The rules may exempt a hospital from a licensing inspection on a continuing
basis throughout the term of the accreditation
or certification
under the
following conditions:

����
(1)
�
The hospital provides
the department with a certified copy of the hospital's official accreditation
or
certification
report [
from The Joint Commission
];

����
(2)
�
The hospital continuously
holds full accreditation [
by The Joint Commission;
]
or certification
and provides the department with a certified copy of the hospital's official
accreditation or certification report;
and

����
(3)
�
The hospital holds
a current and valid state license.

����
(d)
�
The rules shall provide that the department may
conduct inspections and investigations of exempt hospitals [
to investigate
]

regarding
complaints, [
follow up on
] adverse accreditation
or
certification
findings, or [
conduct
] periodic validation surveys.

����
(e)
�

Information contained in reports of survey and official accreditation
or
certification
letters made by [
The Joint Commission
]
an accreditation
organization or a certification organization recognized by the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services that are
used in determining compliance with
licensing requirements shall be public information."

����
SECTION 3.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Hospital
Licensing; Department of Health; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services;
Accreditation Organizations; Certification Organizations; Licensing Inspections

Description:

Requires
the Department of Health to adopt rules to allow hospitals to demonstrate
compliance with all licensing inspections required by the State through
accreditation or certification by any accreditation or certification
organization recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

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