Hawaii Senate Bill SR177

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/16/26
• Refer: 3/19/26
• Report Pass: 4/6/26
• Passed: 4/7/26

Caption

Requesting The Governor And The Department Of Health To Engage With The United States Department Of Defense And Other Federal And Military Partners To Explore Establishing A Military-civilian Trauma Partnership To Strengthen The Hawaii Trauma System.

Summary

SR177 is a Senate resolution requesting that the Governor and the Department of Health work with the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal and military partners to explore a military-civilian trauma partnership for Hawaii. The resolution is focused on strengthening the Hawaii Trauma System by leveraging Tripler Army Medical Center’s level II trauma capabilities, trauma teams, surgical specialists, and combat casualty care experience to better serve civilian patients, especially on the neighbor islands where access to definitive trauma care can be delayed. The resolution asks the Department of Health to coordinate with Tripler, EMS providers, and other stakeholders to identify how military trauma resources could be integrated into the state trauma system. It specifically directs the state to evaluate whether Tripler could serve as a receiving trauma center for civilian patients, what funding would be needed for uncompensated civilian trauma care and trauma readiness, what legislative or regulatory changes might be required for reimbursement, and whether statewide tele-trauma consultation capabilities could be developed for rural and community hospitals. It also requires a report with findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature before the 2027 session.

Impact

SR177 does not itself change state law, but it directs executive agencies to study and pursue potential changes to Hawaii’s trauma-care framework. If implemented, the effort could affect trauma system operations, emergency medical services coordination, reimbursement rules, Medicaid-related payment mechanisms, and the role of a military medical facility in civilian trauma care. It also could lead to future legislation or regulatory amendments to support Tripler Army Medical Center’s participation and to expand tele-trauma support and trauma system funding.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment reflected in the resolution and its committee progress is strongly supportive. The bill passed both listed Senate committees unanimously and without amendment, suggesting broad agreement that Hawaii’s trauma system would benefit from closer military-civilian coordination. The findings emphasize urgency, patient survival, disaster readiness, and the practical value of Tripler’s existing trauma expertise.

Contention

The main issues raised by the resolution are operational and fiscal rather than ideological. Potential points of contention include whether Tripler Army Medical Center can or should serve as a routine civilian receiving trauma center, how civilian trauma care at a military facility would be reimbursed, and what level of dedicated funding would be necessary to support uncompensated care and system coordination. There may also be questions about the legislative or regulatory changes needed to integrate military resources into the state system and how responsibilities would be shared among the Department of Health, EMS providers, civilian trauma centers, and federal military partners.