David Y. Ige

HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige signed five bills into law Thursday, during bill signing ceremonies at the State Capitol. The bills include:

Business Recovery Center:

• HB 1343 (Act 210) Relating to Public Safety – appropriates funds to establish a Business Recovery Center within the Department of Defense. The bill appropriates $328,000 in state funding, with a federal match of $1,159,000 for this initiative. The recovery center is an online website where businesses and government agencies collaborate and coordinate information and resources before, during and after a natural disaster.

Health:

• HB 589 (Act 211) Relating to Stroke Care – establishes a state stroke data registry and requires hospitals to report stroke patient data. Through this registry, the state’s acute stroke hospitals will collect a uniform data set based on their stroke patients and will submit the date to the State Department of Health. The data will help identify weaknesses in the state’s stroke care system and work to improve the system’s response to and quality care of stroke patients.
• HB 467 (Act 212) Relating to Health – requires birthing facilities to screen newborns for critical congenital heart defects using pulse oximetry prior to discharging infants from the hospital or birthing center. Pulse oximetry or pulse ox is a simple, non-invasive, inexpensive test in which sensors are placed on the infant’s hand or foot to check blood oxygen levels. The test takes a few minutes and costs under $5 and can identify infants with this defect before symptoms develop. Hawai‘i is the 42nd state to require this testing.
• HB 174 (Act 213) Relating to Health – requires insurance coverage of orthodontic treatment for orofacial anomalies (cleft palate surgeries). Also known as Anya’s Law, the Medical insurance benefits of up to $5,500 will be required for orthodontic services for individuals under age 26, who are born with orofacial anomalies, most commonly a cleft lip and palate.

Education:

• HB 10 (Act 214) Relating to Education – authorizes DOE employees to volunteer to be trained to administer and oversee the administration of insulin, glucagon or other medication and assist with blood glucose testing if needed. This will improve the ability of diabetic students to manage their diabetes in school and at school-related activities.

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