Hawaii House Bill HB2312

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/28/26
• Refer: 1/30/26

Caption

RELATING TO SYNDROMIC SURVEILLANCE.

Summary

HB2312 would require Hawaii-licensed hospitals with emergency departments to submit syndromic surveillance data to the Department of Health in a format and manner set by the department. The bill defines syndromic surveillance data as de-identified, near real-time information such as chief complaint, discharge diagnosis, visit dates, patient demographics, ZIP code, and facility location, and it allows the department to expand reporting requirements by rule to additional entities such as urgent care facilities, EMS providers, other healthcare facilities, and poison control centers. The measure also authorizes the Department of Health to establish and operate a state-run syndromic surveillance reporting system, independent of federal systems, and to adopt rules to implement the program. It includes a confidentiality provision limiting disclosure of the data to uses allowed under state and federal privacy law or approved research, while permitting public release of aggregated, non-identifying statistics.

Impact

HB2312 would amend chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by creating a new statutory part on syndromic surveillance. It shifts the Department of Health from relying solely on voluntary participation in the National Syndromic Surveillance Program to having express authority to require reporting and to build a state-controlled surveillance system. The bill would affect hospitals with emergency departments first, and could later extend to other healthcare and emergency-response entities through administrative rules, while also establishing confidentiality protections for the data collected.

Sentiment

The bill’s stated purpose and framing are strongly supportive of public health surveillance, emphasizing faster detection of outbreaks, disaster-related illness, and other emerging threats. The available record shows no committee testimony, votes, or recorded opposition, so there is no documented public debate in the provided materials. Overall, the bill appears to have been introduced as a technical public-health modernization measure with an affirmative policy rationale.

Contention

The main policy issue embedded in the bill is the balance between public health utility and reporting burden. Supporters would likely favor mandatory reporting and a state-run system because the bill addresses gaps in voluntary federal reporting, especially in rural areas and during emergencies. Potential concerns, though not documented in the provided record, could include compliance costs for hospitals and other providers, administrative rulemaking authority, data governance, and privacy safeguards for sensitive health information. The bill also raises a structural question about state independence from federal surveillance systems versus continued interoperability with national public health reporting.