HI SCR63

Requests the Disability and Communication Access Board to study communication needs of deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind individuals in healthcare settings, including hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.

The 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 communication services.

The Board is requested to revise its existing guidance for healthcare providers based on study findings to better address effective communication needs.

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