HB716 establishes a new Health Information Technology Infrastructure Grant Program within the Department of Health, to be administered by the State Health Planning and Development Agency. The program is designed to help federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, Ryan White HIV/AIDS program centers, and Native Hawaiian health centers acquire, upgrade, and maintain certified, hosted health information technology systems, including electronic health records, software, hardware, cybersecurity tools, installation services, technical assistance, and workforce training.
The bill defines key terms such as “certified,” “hosted,” and “maintained” by reference to federal health IT standards and requires applicants to be nonprofit 501(c)(3) entities that agree to support public health and participate in clinical research. It also directs the agency to create an annual application process of at least 60 days and authorizes rules for oversight and reporting. The measure includes an appropriation from general revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, though the dollar amount is left blank in the text provided.
Impact
HB716 would add a new subpart to chapter 323D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, creating a state grant program focused on health information technology infrastructure for safety-net and underserved-care providers. It would expand the Department of Health’s responsibilities and give the State Health Planning and Development Agency authority to review applications, award grants, and adopt administrative rules. The bill would primarily affect nonprofit community health providers serving underserved populations, with the goal of improving interoperability, cybersecurity, care coordination, and public health data capacity.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong support in the Senate committees, with the Senate Health and Human Services Committee passing the bill 5-0 with amendments and the Senate Ways and Means Committee passing it 13-0 unamended. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, but the unanimous votes suggest broad agreement with the bill’s purpose of strengthening health IT infrastructure for underserved communities. The overall tone of the bill is policy-driven and supportive of access, modernization, and public health readiness.
Contention
The main policy emphasis is on directing state funds to a limited set of nonprofit health providers and tying eligibility to public-health and research commitments. Potential points of contention include the use of general fund appropriations, the requirement that applicants be 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and the condition that recipients agree to support public health and conduct clinical research involving insured and uninsured individuals. Another possible issue is administrative complexity, since the program relies on agency rulemaking, oversight, and compliance with federal certification and cybersecurity standards.
House Substitute for SB 51 by Committee on Legislative Modernization - Authorizing the chief information security officer to receive audit reports, updating statutes related to services provided by the chief information technology officer and authorizing the office of information technology services to provide certain services to political subdivisions and hospitals.