SB924 would prohibit the State of Hawaii from recognizing “excited delirium” as a valid medical diagnosis or cause of death. It would bar medical examiners, coroners, health care providers, and state or county government personnel from documenting, testifying to, or otherwise using the term in an official capacity, including on death certificates and reports. The bill also amends the title of Chapter 327C to reflect its focus on medical diagnosis and death.
The measure further extends this prohibition to law enforcement incident reports. Police officers would be prohibited from using “excited delirium” to describe an individual, though they could still describe the person’s observed behavior and condition in factual terms. The bill defines “excited delirium” broadly to include related terms such as excited delirium syndrome, hyperactive delirium, agitated delirium, and exhaustive mania, and it specifies that the term is not recognized if it is absent from the DSM or lacks sufficient scientific evidence or diagnostic criteria.
Impact
If enacted, SB924 would change Hawaii law by creating new statutory restrictions in Chapters 327C and 353C of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. It would limit how death investigations, medical records, official reports, and law enforcement incident reports may characterize certain behavioral or medical events, and it would prevent state and county entities from relying on the term as an official diagnosis or cause of death. The bill would affect medical examiners, coroners, physicians, physician assistants, registered nurses, law enforcement officers, and government agencies involved in death investigations and incident documentation.
Sentiment
The available record suggests the bill was introduced as a public safety and accountability measure, with a clear policy purpose of removing a contested term from official use. There are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided material, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to indicate broader support or opposition. The committee status shows the measure was deleted from decision making, which suggests it did not advance in the committee process at that time.
Contention
The main point of contention is the bill’s rejection of “excited delirium” as a recognized medical or forensic term. Supporters of the bill appear to view the term as scientifically unsupported and potentially misleading in death investigations and police reporting, while critics of such measures typically argue that officers and medical professionals need flexibility to describe extreme agitation or sudden medical crises. The bill tries to address that concern by allowing factual descriptions of conduct and symptoms while banning the specific label in official records.
Urging The Prohibition Of The Use Of "excited Delirium", Or Similar Pseudoscientific Concepts, As A Medical Diagnosis, Cause Of Death, Or Legal Theory In The State Of Hawaii.
Finding That "excited Delirium" And "excited Delirium Syndrome" Are Not Medical Diagnoses Recognized By Any Leading Medical Or Other Scientific Organization And Requesting All State And County Government Entities To Refrain From Indicating "excited Delirium" Or "excited Delirium Syndrome" As A Cause Of Death.