Bill > HB716

This bill establishes the Health Information Technology Infrastructure Grant Program within Hawaii's Department of Health, to be administered by the State Health Planning and Development Agency, with the goal of supporting health technology infrastructure for underserved healthcare providers. The program will provide grants to federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program centers, and Native Hawaiian health centers to help them acquire or upgrade electronic health records systems, procure health information technology software and hardware, finance installation services, and cover ongoing technical assistance and workforce training. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit entities under 501(c)(3) and agree to support public health research. The grant application process will be open for at least 60 days annually, with applicants required to demonstrate their experience serving underserved populations, describe their project, indicate the number of people they serve, and provide a project cost and timeline. The bill recognizes that these healthcare providers serve 20% of Hawaii's residents and need significant upfront investment to implement modern, interoperable health information technology that can enhance care coordination, improve patient outcomes, and support trauma-informed care. Appropriations for the program will be made from general state revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, with the program set to take effect on December 31, 2050.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=716&year=2026