Hawaii legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Hawaii SCR7: Affirming and Supporting the Requirement That Hospitals Provide Life-saving Emergency Care to Pregnant People, Including Reproductive and Abortion Services, When Such Care is Medically Necessary to Stabilize a Patient Under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act.
Status: Passed both chambers, April 27, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text:
THE SENATE S.C.R. NO. THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 STATE OF HAWAII JAN 2 8 2026 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION AFFIRMING AND SUPPORTING THE REQUIREMENT THAT HOSPITALS PROVIDE LIFE-SAVING EMERGENCY CARE TO PREGNANT PEOPLE, INCLUDING REPRODUCTIVE AND ABORTION SERVICES, WHEN SUCH CARE IS MEDICALLY NECESSARY TO STABILIZE A PATIENT UNDER THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT AND ACTIVE LABOR ACT. WHEREAS, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), enacted in 1986, requires hospitals that receive Medicare funding to provide a medical screening examination and stabilizing treatment to any person with an emergency medical condition, regardless of their ability to pay; and WHEREAS, EMTALA has long been interpreted to require that when a person presents a life- or health-threatening condition to a hospital, such as hemorrhage, ectopic pregnancy, or preeclampsia, the hospital must provide abortion care if it is the necessary stabilizing treatment; and WHEREAS, shifts in federal policy and guidance in recent years, including the 2022 federal affirmation of EMTALA's requirement to provide emergency abortion care and the 2025 rescission of this guidance by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, have created national confusion about EMTALA's application, even though the statute itself remains fully in effect; and WHEREAS, the lack of consistent federal guidance has caused hospitals in some states to delay or deny stabilizing care for pregnant people, particularly in states …
Sponsors
- Michelle Kidani (D, 18) · primary sponsor
- Stanley Chang (D, 9)
- Lynn DeCoite (D, 7)
- Carol Fukunaga (D, 11)
- Jarrett Keohokalole (D, 24)
- Donna Kim (D, 14)
- Lamosao, Rachele (D, 19)
- Tim Richards (D, SD-004)
- Joy San Buenaventura (D, 2)
Latest actions
- : Certified copies of resolutions sent, 05-12-26.
- : Resolution adopted in final form.
- : Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 825).
- : Transmitted to Senate.
- : Adopted with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Cochran, Garcia, Gedeon, Matsumoto, Muraoka, Pierick, Shimizu voting no (8) and Representative(s) Kapela excused (1).
- : Reported from HLT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2248-26), recommending adoption.
- : The committee on HLT recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Amato, Hartsfield, Takenouchi; Ayes with reservations: none; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Marten, Olds.
- : Resolution scheduled to be heard by HLT on Thursday, 04-23-26 8:45AM in conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- : Referred to HLT, referral sheet 27
- : Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 439).
Votes
- Adopted with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Cochran, Garcia, Gedeon, Matsumoto, Muraoka, Pierick, Shimizu voting no (8) and Representative(s) Kapela excused (1) (April 24, 2026): 42 yea, 8 nay, passed
- HLT: recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED (April 23, 2026): 5 yea, 2 nay, passed
- HHS: recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED (March 30, 2026): 3 yea, 1 nay, passed
Subjects: Medicaid, Exemptions
Common questions
- What is SCR7?
- SCR7 is a bill in the Hawaii Legislature (2026 Regular Session): Affirming and Supporting the Requirement That Hospitals Provide Life-saving Emergency Care to Pregnant People, Including Reproductive and Abortion Services, When Such Care is Medically Necessary to Stabilize a Patient Under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act.
- What is the status of SCR7?
- Passed both chambers as of April 27, 2026. Latest action: Certified copies of resolutions sent, 05-12-26. (May 12, 2026).
- Who sponsored SCR7?
- Michelle Kidani (D, 18), with 8 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for SCR7?
- On the Hawaii Legislature website: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SCR&billnumber=7&year=2026
Source: official Hawaii record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.