HI HR50

Requests the Department of Health to conduct a feasibility study on permitting minors aged 16 or older to consent to vaccinations without parental or guardian consent.

Cites increased vaccination gaps among Hawaii schoolchildren following the COVID-19 pandemic, with 18.6 percent of students having missed routine vaccinations or incomplete immunization records.

References examples from other jurisdictions, including Washington State, that allow minors deemed mature enough to consent to vaccinations under the "mature minor doctrine."

Requires the Department of Health to submit findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than 20 days before the Regular Session of 2025.

Identifies expanded vaccination rates among 16-year-olds and older as a strategy to increase community-wide protection against vaccine-preventable diseases.