HI SR57

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.

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 sign language interpreters.

Requires the Board to consider patient preferences, special in-patient communication needs, and healthcare providers' legal duties under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 489.

Board must revise its current healthcare provider guidance based on study findings to better address effective communication requirements.

Report with findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation due to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the 2027 Regular Session.