Bill > SB228

This bill prohibits the use of "excited delirium" as a valid medical diagnosis or cause of death in Hawaii. Specifically, the bill prevents medical examiners, coroners, healthcare providers, and law enforcement officers from using the term "excited delirium" in official documents, reports, or communications. The bill defines excited delirium as a descriptive term for a person's state of agitation, extreme aggression, and apparent pain immunity that is not recognized in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and lacks sufficient scientific evidence as a medical condition. The legislation establishes new rules that make evidence of excited delirium inadmissible in civil actions, requiring parties to describe an individual's behavior and condition without using the specific term. The bill covers various related terms like "excited delirium syndrome" and "agitated delirium" and applies to physicians, physician assistants, registered nurses, and law enforcement officers. While professionals can describe an individual's specific characteristics and conduct, they are prohibited from formally diagnosing or attributing these behaviors to excited delirium. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 3000, which appears to be a placeholder date.

Health and Social Services, Justice

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=228&year=2025