Bill > SB1246

This bill directs the Hawaii Department of Health to purchase and store a one-year supply of mifepristone, a medication commonly used for medication-based abortions, in response to potential legal challenges to reproductive rights following the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The legislation is grounded in Hawaii's historical commitment to protecting individual privacy and bodily autonomy, as established in the state constitution. The bill specifically requires the department to work with one or more local pharmacies to acquire approximately 1,000 doses of mifepristone, which has a five-year shelf life, to ensure continued access to reproductive healthcare services. The bill notes that 63% of abortions are accomplished through oral medication, and that in-person abortion care is currently only available on Maui and Oahu. The appropriation for purchasing the medication will come from general state revenues, and the bill is set to take effect on December 31, 2050. The broader context is the state's proactive approach to preserving reproductive rights in the face of changing national legal landscapes, following the examples of other states like California and New York that have implemented similar medication stockpiling strategies.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=1246&year=2026