SB299 • 2026

RELATING TO LOAN REPAYMENT FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS.

Budget Education Healthcare

Active

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

Sponsor: SAN BUENAVENTURA, AQUINO, CHANG, FEVELLA, HASHIMOTO, KANUHA, MCKELVEY, MORIWAKI, RHOADS, RICHARDS
Last action: 2026-04-02
Official status: Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
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 LOAN REPAYMENT FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO LOAN REPAYMENT FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS.
Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program; Appropriation ($) Appropriates funds for the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program.
Effective 7/1/3000.
(HD1)

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: SB299 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB299 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
299 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 S.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII H.D.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: SB299 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB299 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
299 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LOAN REPAYMENT FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS .

SD2

Hawaii published version SD2

Plain English: SB299 SD2 THE SENATE S.B.

SB299 SD2 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
299 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 S.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LOAN REPAYMENT FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS .

Bill History

2026-04-02 S
Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
2026-04-01 H
House Conferee(s) discharged.
2026-03-20 H
Received notice of all Senate conferees being discharged (Sen. Com. No. 409).
2026-03-20 S
Senate Conferee(s) discharged.
2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-04-22 S
Conference committee meeting scheduled for 04-23-25 3:30PM; Conference Room 329.
2025-04-15 H
Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 789).
2025-04-15 S
Senate Conferees Appointed: San Buenaventura Chair; Kim Co-Chair; Hashimoto, Fevella.
2025-04-15 S
Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 731).
2025-04-14 H
House Conferees Appointed: Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy Co-Chairs; Alcos.
2025-04-08 H
Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 774).
2025-04-08 S
Senate disagrees with House amendments.
2025-04-08 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 574).
2025-04-04 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Pierick voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kapela excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-04-04 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1958), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-04-01 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 14 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Alcos.
2025-03-28 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Tuesday, 04-01-25 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-03-21 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Pierick voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Garrett, Kapela, Kitagawa, Ward excused (5).
2025-03-21 H
Reported from HLT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1420) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2025-03-19 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, Chun, Marten, Olds, Takenouchi, Alcos, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
2025-03-14 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HLT on Wednesday, 03-19-25 9:05AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-03-06 H
Referred to HLT, FIN, referral sheet 19
2025-03-06 H
Pass First Reading
2025-03-04 H
Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 125) in amended form (SD 2).
2025-03-04 S
Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2025-02-28 S
48 Hrs. Notice 03-04-25.
2025-02-28 S
Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 917) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).
2025-02-26 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, Aquino, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2025-02-24 S
The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 02-26-25 10:04AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2025-02-14 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2025-02-14 S
Reported from HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 594) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2025-02-12 S
The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HHS were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, Aquino, Hashimoto, Keohokalole, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2025-02-10 S
The committee(s) on HHS deferred the measure until 02-12-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2025-02-04 S
The committee(s) on HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 02-10-25 1:20PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2025-01-21 S
Referred to HHS, WAM.
2025-01-15 S
Introduced and passed First Reading.
2025-01-14 S
Pending Introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO LOAN REPAYMENT FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS.
Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program; Appropriation ($)
Appropriates funds for the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB299

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

299

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to loan repayment for healthcare professionals
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that a
persistent workforce shortage in the health care industry has created
difficulties for patients trying to access care, including specialized care
such as behavioral health services.
�
One
of the reasons that providers often cite for the difficulty of practicing in
Hawaii is financial hardship, with the high cost of living frequently driving
providers to leave the State.

����
The
legislature further finds that in 2023, the legislature appropriated a total of
$30,000,000 over fiscal years 2024 and 2025 to fund the healthcare education
loan repayment program, which assists health care professionals in Hawaii in
repaying their health care educational loans in exchange for medical service in
Hawaii.
�
By all accounts, the program has
been extremely successful, helping to improve the lives of health care
professionals in the State and making it easier for them to remain and practice
in Hawaii.

����
The
legislature also finds that eight hundred ninety residents were assisted by the
healthcare education loan repayment program, which allocated nearly $13,000,000
in 2023.
�
Of the eight hundred ninety
recipients, two hundred thirty-eight were primary care providers, and two
hundred fifty were behavioral health specialists.
�
The categories of health care providers who
were awarded loan repayment assistance are diverse and include case managers,
certified nurse assistants, social workers, registered nurses, and physicians.

����
In
addition, the legislature finds that while the healthcare education loan
repayment program has significantly benefited those who received loan repayment
assistance, there are still large numbers of health care providers who have not
yet received relief, including more than one thousand three hundred who are
currently on the waitlist.
�
The
legislature additionally finds that it would be in the best interest of the
State to continue to fund this transformative program to help address continuing
shortages in the health care industry.

����
Therefore,
the purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the healthcare education
loan repayment program to continue to provide loan repayment assistance to
health care workers in Hawaii.

����
SECTION
2.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $15,000,000 or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so
much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the healthcare
education loan repayment program.

����
The sums

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

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Healthcare
Education Loan Repayment Program; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates
funds for the
Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program.

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