HI HR61

Requests the Disability and Communication Access Board to conduct a study on communication needs of deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind individuals in healthcare settings.

Study must examine availability of sign language interpreters, tactile interpreters, and other auxiliary aids serving these communities in Hawaii, which currently faces a shortage of qualified interpreters.

Healthcare providers are legally required under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 489 to provide auxiliary aids and give primary consideration to patient preferences for effective communication.

Board is requested to revise its current guidance for healthcare providers based on study findings, with particular attention to hospitalized patients and those in skilled nursing facilities.

Report with findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation must be submitted to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the 2027 Regular Session.