---
type: "Bill"
title: "RELATING TO RURAL EMERGENCY HOSPITALS."
description: "Creates a framework for the licensure of rural emergency hospitals at the state level by the Department of Health. Clarify Medicaid reimbursement policies for hospitals transitioning from a critical access hospital designation to a rural emergency hospital designation. (CD1)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/hi"
legislature: "Hawaii Legislature"
session: "2025"
identifier: "HB 1179"
citation: "Hawaii HB 1179 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Critical Access Hospitals", "DOH", "Licensure", "Medicaid", "Rural Emergency Hospitals"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["AMATO", "EVSLIN", "GARRETT", "GRANDINETTI", "KAHALOA", "KAPELA", "KILA", "KITAGAWA", "KUSCH", "LAMOSAO", "LOWEN", "MARTEN", "MATAYOSHI", "MIYAKE", "OLDS", "POEPOE", "QUINLAN", "SOUZA", "TAKAYAMA", "TAKENOUCHI", "TAM", "TODD", "WOODSON"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 49
vote_count: 9
first_action: "2025-01-22"
last_action: "2025-05-30"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/9ec930ff-522c-4780-8235-b6336d57bbcf"
source_url: "https://capitol.hawaii.gov/session/archives/measure_indiv_Archives.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1179&year=2025"
source_hash: "5431e6685b5cfabdfc29d70f6c11bd3fe17f5b2a91e122f531566a8dedf92ab1"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-hi"]
---

# Hawaii HB 1179 (2025) — RELATING TO RURAL EMERGENCY HOSPITALS.

Creates a framework for the licensure of rural emergency hospitals at the state level by the Department of Health. Clarify Medicaid reimbursement policies for hospitals transitioning from a critical access hospital designation to a rural emergency hospital designation. (CD1)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **HB1179** (committee substitute) — [source](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB1179_.HTM)
2. **HB1179_CD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB1179_CD1_.HTM)
3. **HB1179_HD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB1179_HD1_.HTM)
4. **HB1179_SD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB1179_SD1_.HTM)
5. **HB1179_SD2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB1179_SD2_.HTM)

## Votes

- The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. — **12–0** (pass) · lower
- The committee(s) on CPN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **13–0** (pass) · upper
- The committee on HLT recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **9–0** (pass) · lower
- Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). — **25–0** (pass) · upper
- The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **3–0** (pass) · upper
- The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. — **5–0** (pass) · lower
- The committee on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. — **7–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- AMATO — primary (person)
- EVSLIN — primary (person)
- GARRETT — primary (person)
- GRANDINETTI — primary (person)
- KAHALOA — primary (person)
- KAPELA — primary (person)
- KILA — primary (person)
- KITAGAWA — primary (person)
- KUSCH — primary (person)
- LAMOSAO — primary (person)
- LOWEN — primary (person)
- MARTEN — primary (person)
- MATAYOSHI — primary (person)
- MIYAKE — primary (person)
- OLDS — primary (person)
- POEPOE — primary (person)
- QUINLAN — primary (person)
- SOUZA — primary (person)
- TAKAYAMA — primary (person)
- TAKENOUCHI — primary (person)
- TAM — primary (person)
- TODD — primary (person)
- WOODSON — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-05-30** Act 144, on 05/30/2025 (Gov. Msg. No. 1244). `became-law`
- **2025-05-30** Act 144, 05/30/2025 (Gov. Msg. No. 1244). `became-law`
- **2025-05-01** Transmitted to Governor.
- **2025-05-02** Received notice of passage on Final Reading in House (Hse. Com. No. 821). `receipt`
- **2025-05-01** Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 888). `receipt`
- **2025-04-30** Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick excused (2). `passage`
- **2025-04-30** Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . 0 No(es): none. 0 Excused: none. `passage`
- **2025-04-25** 48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 04-30-25
- **2025-04-25** Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 155).
- **2025-04-25** Forty-eight (48) hours notice Wednesday, 04-30-25.
- **2025-04-25** Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 155) as amended in (CD 1).
- **2025-04-24** The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Takayama, Chun, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Miyake, Alcos; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
- **2025-04-24** The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, Keohokalole, DeCoite; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-23** Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Thursday, 04-24-25 3:16PM in conference room 329.
- **2025-04-22** Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 859). `receipt`
- **2025-04-22** Senate Conferees Appointed: San Buenaventura Chair; Keohokalole, DeCoite Co-Chairs; Fevella.
- **2025-04-15** Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 732). `receipt`
- **2025-04-14** House Conferees Appointed: Takayama, Chun, Keohokapu-Lee Loy Co-Chairs; Miyake, Alcos.
- **2025-04-11** Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 704). `receipt`
- **2025-04-10** House disagrees with Senate amendment (s). `amendment-failure`
- **2025-04-08** Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 748) in amended form (SD 2).
- **2025-04-08** Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House. `passage`
- **2025-04-04** 48 Hrs. Notice 04-08-25.
- **2025-04-04** Reported from CPN/WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1819) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).
- **2025-04-02** The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 13 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, Aquino, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-02** The committee(s) on CPN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in CPN were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keohokalole, Fukunaga, McKelvey, Richards, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-27** The committee(s) on CPN/WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-02-25 10:00AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
- **2025-03-21** Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to CPN/WAM. `reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2025-03-21** Reported from HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1243) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to CPN/WAM.
- **2025-03-17** The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HHS were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, Aquino, Hashimoto, Keohokalole, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-11** The committee(s) on HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 03-17-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
- **2025-03-04** Referred to HHS, CPN/WAM. `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-04** Passed First Reading. `reading-1`
- **2025-03-04** Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 157). `introduction, receipt`
- **2025-02-28** Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick, Templo, Ward excused (4). Transmitted to Senate. `passage`
- **2025-02-28** Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 956), recommending passage on Third Reading.
- **2025-02-21** The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 12 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 4 Excused: Representative(s) Holt, Lee, M., Alcos, Ward. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-02-19** Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Friday, 02-21-25 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- **2025-02-14** Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Matayoshi, Poepoe, Ward excused (4).
- **2025-02-14** Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 670), recommending referral to FIN.
- **2025-02-12** The committee on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Chun, Ilagan, Ichiyama, Iwamoto, Kong, Marten, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Matayoshi, Lowen, Tam. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-02-10** Bill scheduled to be heard by CPC on Wednesday, 02-12-25 2:00PM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- **2025-02-04** Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on CPC with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kong, Ward excused (3). `reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2025-02-04** Reported from HLT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 69) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC.
- **2025-01-31** The committee on HLT recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Amato, Chun, Marten, Olds, Takenouchi, Alcos, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-01-29** Bill scheduled to be heard by HLT on Friday, 01-31-25 9:15AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- **2025-01-27** Referred to HLT, CPC, FIN, referral sheet 4 `referral-committee`
- **2025-01-23** Introduced and Pass First Reading. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-01-22** Pending introduction.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/9ec930ff-522c-4780-8235-b6336d57bbcf`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Hawaii legislature records).