Hawaii Senate Bill SB1154

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/17/25
• Refer: 1/23/25
• Refer: 1/21/26

Caption

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Summary

SB1154 would require the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine to establish and operate a local laboratory for disease testing and environmental toxins testing. The laboratory would be able to test air, water, soil, biological specimens, and other high-complexity samples, and it would have to meet federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) standards. The bill also requires the lab to accept samples from any person who reasonably believes the sample contains disease or environmental toxins in violation of law. The measure is framed as a public health and environmental protection response to Hawaii’s geographic isolation and past delays in mainland testing, including references to the Red Hill fuel spill and the COVID-19 pandemic. It directs the university to provide complete reports to the public within 10 days of receiving samples, submit a progress report to the Legislature before the 2026 session, and seek federal funding if available. If federal financing is not secured within nine months, the university must proceed using state funds appropriated under the bill, including authorization for general obligation bonds.

Impact

The bill would add a new section to Chapter 304A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, creating a statutory duty for UH JABSOM to build and run a certified testing laboratory. It would also authorize the Director of Finance to issue general obligation bonds and appropriate state capital improvement funds for construction and operation, with the appropriation remaining available until June 30, 2028 unless earlier encumbered. In practical terms, the bill would expand the university’s responsibilities into public disease and environmental toxin testing and create a new state-run testing resource for residents and government agencies.

Sentiment

The bill’s stated purpose and findings reflect strong support for a local testing capability, emphasizing faster results, lower shipping costs, improved transparency, and better emergency response. The available record does not include committee testimony or votes, so there is no documented opposition or amendment debate in the provided materials. The bill’s referral to EDU/AEN and WAM suggests it was still under legislative consideration rather than having reached final disposition.

Contention

The main policy questions raised by the text are funding, implementation, and scope. The bill contemplates federal funding first, but requires state-backed construction if federal support is not secured, which could raise concerns about cost and bond financing. Another possible point of contention is the breadth of the laboratory’s mandate: it would accept samples from any person who reasonably believes there is a violation of law and must provide public access to results within 10 days, which could raise operational, privacy, and capacity issues. No specific objections are recorded in the provided transcripts or vote history.