S.R. No. 37 Summary

• Department of Health requested to convene a stakeholder working group to study and make recommendations on enhancing language assistance services in Hawaii health care settings.

• Working group to include health care providers, insurers, community-based organizations, and language service providers to assess current language access gaps and disparities.

• Study must examine experiences of limited English proficient (LEP) populations, existing language assistance services, availability of interpreters, and reliance on family members as interpreters in medical settings.

• Hawaii has 25.9 percent of population aged five and older speaking a language other than English at home, with language barriers contributing to poor clinical outcomes and longer hospital stays.

• Department of Health must submit final report with study findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the 2025 regular session convenes.