Senate health committee passes three deaf‑blind task‑force and hearing‑aid bills with amendments

The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services voted to pass three bills related to the deaf‑blind task force and hearing‑aid access, approving each measure with amendments and sending committee reports requesting additional studies and fiscal notes.

The measures considered out of order were SB 14 19 (deaf‑blind task force program changes), SB 14 94 (hearing‑aid coverage), and SB 14 95 (general excise tax exemption for hearing aids). Chair and committee members adopted amendments on clarity, fiscal years and scope and asked the State Auditor to complete a Sunrise analysis for mandated insurance coverage.

The Department of Human Services' Division of Vocational Rehabilitation administrator Leah Diaz said she and Ho'opono Services for the Blind branch administrator Gavin Abe "stand on our written testimony as submitted." Katie Keim, second vice president of the National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii, told the committee the group supported DHS amendments and asked the committee to use the term "low vision" rather than "visually impaired," saying that term is the appropriate and respectful phrasing used in the national organization's policy.

Several individual speakers urged broader coverage and noted health benefits of hearing aids. Peter Fritz said he has worked on the bills over many years and pointed to research linking hearing‑aid use with lower rates of dementia and fewer accidents; Rick Taber, vice chair of the PABEA Legislative Committee, described his mother's fatal fall and said the cost of hearing aids is a barrier. Elizabeth Pearson of the Disability and Communication Access Board recommended defining "hearing aids" in the statutes as prescription hearing aids so the bill better targets clinical devices.

On SB 14 95, Haley Callahan, Deputy Attorney General, recommended the committee delete certain amendments on page 7 and warned the committee that those changes might invite a single‑subject challenge under Section 14 of the Hawai‘i Constitution. A Department of Taxation representative told the committee an earlier estimate put potential general‑fund revenue loss in the range of $1,000,000 to $1,100,000.

At decision making the chair recommended passing SB 14 19 with technical amendments and changing appropriation fiscal years; the motion was approved. For SB 14 94 the chair proposed amending mandatory hearing‑aid coverage to optional coverage similar to vision and dental plans and to request a Sunrise analysis on mandatory prescription hearing‑aid coverage; the committee adopted the amendment and passed the measure. For SB 14 95 the committee accepted the Attorney General's suggested deletions for subject‑matter concerns, approved technical clarifying edits and added a defective effective date; the Department of Taxation estimate was noted in the committee report.

Votes at the decision meeting showed the chair and vice chair voting aye; Senator Hashimoto voted aye; Senator Fevella voted aye; Senator Keohokalole was recorded excused. Each measure's recommendation of the chair was adopted.

Committee staff will include requested studies and fiscal notes in the committee reports and the measures advance with the adopted amendments.