Senate Standing Committee on Health and Human Services

Calling the 1:00 PM Health and Human Services hearing. This meeting is being streamed live on YouTube. In the unlikely event that we have to abruptly end this hearing due to technical difficulties, the Committee will be convened to discuss any outstanding business on Monday, May 31st, 2025, at 1:00 PM in room 225.

For those on Zoom, your audio will be muted and video disabled until shortly before it is your turn to testify. Each testifier will have one minute to testify. If there is a technical glitch during your time to testify, we may have to move on to the next person due to time constraints.

I will be reading a list of individuals who submitted written testimony for each measure. We apologize if the closed captioning does not accurately transcribe the names. If you are interested in reviewing the written testimony, please go to the Legislature's website. You will find the link on the status page for the measure.

We appreciate your understanding and remind you that the Committee does have your testimony, that I have reviewed them, and I ask you to use your time to either add additional comments or you can stand on your written testimony and also present with me is Senator Fevella.

First up is SR 12, SCR 16, requesting the Department of Health to convene a task force to identify and develop minimum professional standards for community health worker training programs. First up, Department of Health, in support.

Good afternoon, Chair, Members of the Committee. I'm Lola Ervin with the Department of Health and the Department of Health supports this important measure and are willing to take on the task using our current resources that could be in the task force, recognizing the importance of community health workers representing the communities that they serve and really providing and serving as an ally, especially for those who may not be English language proficient.

And so, over the years, we have supported their formation, and we will continue to do so. Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony.

Thank you very much. Next, we have Papa Ola Lokahi providing comments.

Thank you, Chair. My name is Kim Ku‘ulei Birnie. I'm with Papa Ola Lokahi. I think you all know that Papa Ola Lokahi is the Native Hawaiian Health Board authorized by the Federal Native Hawaiian Healthcare Improvement Act. I'm here to provide comments. We did provide testimony. I'm here to provide comments to the makeup of the task force that's being created.

We also are in agreement with the Department of Health. We know that community health workers play a critical role in bridging the medical and health education community with the actual community themselves. That's why we developed a curriculum called the Ho'Okele Keola Patient Navigator curriculum back in 2009, 2010, I believe it was.

And it's why we collaborated with other local partners to develop the Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Community Health Worker Alliance. Because of this involvement, we would like—we are proposing that two positions be added to the task force. One is Papa Ola Lokahi so that we can make sure.

Thank you very much.

We have your written testimony. Next, we have Michelle Malia Hirashi, Kauru Health Community Association, providing comments. Next, we have Hawaii Public Health Institute in support. Is that Hawaii Public Health? Please proceed. Identify yourself.

Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee. Rosi Filemoni, representing Hawaii Public Health Institute, in support of SR 12, SCR 16. We stand on our written testimony and just wanted to add we support the resolution.

However, we just have some requested recommendations to ensure that the Hawaii Community Health Worker Association and other stakeholders, including a representative from the Hawaii Primary Care Association and a representative from Papa Ola Lokahi, are added to the task force and to ensure that at least 50% of the task force members are community health workers themselves.

All of these recommendations are outlined in our written testimony. Mahalo for your time.

Okay, thank you very much. Next, we have Gracie Flores, Hawaii Community Health Worker Association, in support. Aiden Dillard, Kukanoka Poe Hawaii, in support. Jesse Marquez of Kau Rural Health Community Association. Jesse, are you present on Zoom?

Not present on Zoom, Chair.

Okay, next we have—oh, we also have Vice Chair Senator Aquino present. Next, we have Kapunikama in support. Kapunikama, are you present? No. Okay, moving on. Mike Nguyen of Aloha Care, in support. Mike Nguyen, are you present on Zoom?

Not present on Zoom, Chair.

Okay, next we have Chauncey Hatadiko, National Association of Community Health Workers. Are you present, Chauncey, on Zoom.

Also not present on Zoom, Chair.

Kelsey Kekilani, Kenji Hiraishi providing comments. Cynthia Crabtree in support. Cynthia Crabtree, you're present on Zoom?

Yes, present.

Please proceed. You have one minute. Turn on your video. Thank you.

Okay. Aloha, Chair, Vice Chair, and Committee. My name is Cynthia Crabtree. I'm a community health worker based here in Hilo, also serving the Hawaii Island Representative for the Hawaii Community Health Workers Association. I am testifying in strong support of SR 12 and SCR 16, especially intent to define clear statewide standards for CHW training.

I support the Hawaii Community Health Workers Association's recommendations that the task force include CHWs themselves, as well as trusted organizations like Papa Ola Lokahi and HPCA. These groups bring the experience and cultural grounding needed to get this right. I believe certification can be powerful step forward if it's inclusive.

We cannot leave behind many CHWs who are already doing the work in their communities, their lives—their lived experience—is just as valuable as formal credentials. As someone actively working on Hawaii Island, I will be honored to support this effort in any way that helps ensure it's grounded in equality and lived community knowledge.

Mahalo for the opportunity to testify and for your support of the CHWs across Hawaii. Thank you.

Thank you very much. And I see Jesse Marquez. So Jesse, please proceed. You have one minute.

First of all, I wanted to thank you and your Committee. I'm submitting my testimony in amendment to SR 12, SR 16. I'm Auntie Jesse at Kauru Health Community Association and the Executive Director. I support the Senate Bill intent. However, representation of rural underserved vulnerable community based on nonprofits, the organizations are not included as members of task force, so.

Excuse me. So, what's happening is that however, because, however, on behalf of Kauru Health, I would like to request consideration to amend the following concerns. The amend task force members invitations to include community based nonprofit grassroots organizations such as Kauru Health Community Association.

Auntie Jesse, I read your testimony and so, thank you very much. I, I'm leaning towards your proposed amendments, but I will ask. Thank you. Okay, next we have, okay, April Arroyo in support. Crystal Cade Bargayo in support. Kapuni Kama. Are you present, Kapuni Kama?

Okay, next we have Lid Sid Haufield in support. Anybody else wishing testify in SR 12, SCR 16? Members, any questions? Come on up. Identify yourself.

Aloha. My name is Axelina Pasi.

Okay, you have one minute.

Aloha, Mai Kako, Chair, Senator Joy A. San Buenaventura, Vice Chair Senator Henry J.C. Aquino, and Members of the Committee. Mahalanui for the opportunity to submit testimony in strong support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 16. My name is Axelina Pasi, and I am a proud community member from Koolaloa and I'm a proud community health worker.

I want to give recommendations on SCR 16. I would like to see if our NHPICHW alliance would have a seat at this table. The NHPICHW alliance was created this year, and we have many Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander community health workers who are part of this alliance.

And we would like to have a seat at the task force table. I would also like to advocate for a seat for Papa Ola Lokahi as a community member. And I would also like to advocate that 51% of the task force be made up of community health workers. Mahalo for your time and aloha.

Okay, thank you very much. Anybody else wishing to testify on SR 12, SCR 16? Members, any questions? Department of Health, come on up. I have a question. Okay, so you've heard the last two and Papa Ola Lokahi requesting seat at the table as well as an additional member from the Native Hawaiian Medical Association. Do you have any problems with adding them in?

Not at all. We do work with them.

I figured you'd—okay, how about, another testifier wanted also Hawaii Primary Care Association.

Yes, we also work with them.

Okay, and the primary reason why this resolution is here is because of the request of Auntie Jessie which they want a community-based grassroots organization member.

Do you have any problems with adding that person into the task force? Okay, thank you very much. Any other questions? Okay, moving on. Thank you. Okay, next up, SR6, SCR16. Excuse me, SR141, SCR 172 requesting a Department of Health to convene a demolition waste reduction working group. Okay, first up, we have Department of Health providing comments.

And we also have Senator Keohokalole present. Next we have Mike Ewell, Energy Justice Network in support. Mike Ewall, are you present on Zoom? Please proceed.

Yes, I am Chair Aloha Chair, Vice. Chair, Members of the Committee, Mike Ewall with Energy Justice Network representing our Hawaii based member groups Kakua and Ina Clean Power Task Force. We suggested a handful of amendments of amendments in our testimony.

We urge you to consider them to strengthen this resolution which we are in support of, especially the first one to ensure that recommendations follow from this Committee. Follow the internationally peer reviewed definition of. Zero waste and the zero waste hierarchy.

Okay, thank you very much. Next we have Melody Aduha, Environmental Caucus, Democratic Party of Hawaii and support Quinn Vitam, Riu Savai and support Ted Bolan, Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition and Climate Protectors, Hawaiian Support. Anybody else wishing to testify on SR141? SCR172 Members. Any questions? Okay, seeing none. Moving on.

Next up we have SR165 SCR205, requesting Department to adopt rules establishing a maximum decibel level for concerts or events at private venues generating noise in primarily residential areas. First up, we have, I believe Department of Health providing comments. Okay, anybody else wishing to testify on SR165SCR?

I'm sorry, Department of Health.

Okay, come on. Come on up.

So we're standing on our written testimony. We have been really looking into this noise issue for quite some time and pretty much everyone we talk about are, you know, awakened by different kinds of noise. Right now our statute simply regulates commercial activities, construction, etc.

And so being able to expand our capacities to be able to address things that end up being nuisances. So particularly things like people who put on a big party in their backyard and wake everyone up, that sort of thing. So the police do take care of some of those things. But to actually be able to review.

We're in the process of rewriting our rules to be able to include that nuisance as we get as many calls for that as the rest of all the other construction things together. So that's where we're at at this point.

And we will be in the process of looking for Members of the community allege other who would like to participate in the working group so that we can get this to work well for the people of Hawaii.

Thank you very much. Anybody else wishing to testify on SR165 SCR205. Members, any questions?

Department of Health, come on up. This resolution cites noise pollution as the cause of a number of common health problems. Do you attest to the assertions that are being made in this resolution?

Yes, I was part of writing it. So it is. So the biggest one actually for the kinds of noise that we're now wanting to include as well is people's sleeping, functioning, etc. So, for example, we also get. We've been getting complaints from folks who are next to pickleball courts because it's fairly loud.

But that's not something that we talked to the Parks Department about it. But that's not something that we sure. How to go about. So that would certainly be something we would be discussing in the working group.

There's no reference to pickleball in this resolution. It's concerts. Is there some sort of standard frequency and decibel level that constitute these kind of health problems? I mean, they're making some pretty. There's some pretty assertive propositions being made in here. I don't know that there's data in the testimony record at this point.

No, there is not. That's part of what we'll be discussing and working with. We have certainly a list of folks who have been complaining about these issues before, and we've talked about what the limitations are now, et cetera.

So I think as we get support from the communities, that might help quite a bit, but it's a work in progress for sure.

Any other questions? Yeah, Chair. Okay, Senator Fevella.

So similar to what was discussing, everybody could have Their own. You have this task for everybody have their own idea of this. The only reason why bringing this up not so much of anyplace else and I don't even live there. When we went concerts at the wiki show.

Things change when people came moving into the community and basically gonna be foreigners. They're changing the scope. So what you want to get out of this task force? What would you guys want to get out of this task force?

Because right now when moped passing my house with an exhaust system that's supposed to be illegal wakes us up my dogs, Chihuahuas, across the street box seven days a week all night bothers me.

So when we're gonna have a medium that say, you know, I mean we tolerate certain things but this thing is saying to do it commercial and other stuff like that. So what would. What would you guys want from out of this working group that is already not in play now that is enforceable by police, city, county, state.

That can be enforced now.

So at this point our statute doesn't allow for other than those. Those main categories so construction etc. So a great example of that is when you've got to do road work. Can't do road work in the middle of the delay, you know, if it's on the freeway, etc.

So we allow those, those that work to go on into the night and they also send notices to all of the folks who are going to be impacted by it.

But Wikileaki Shell has a disciple which you guys need to come up with this bill. But Senator Keohokalole, I just asked. You guys don't even have a decibel level. So we don't Wiki Shell. They got a decimal level now and they gotta be done by 10 o'clock.

All these rules and regulations, but you guys don't even have a set on how you guys are gonna criteria this whole decibel thing.

So just recently there was a conference, there was a concert, first one in a long time at Moanalua Gardens. And we did actually get. There were community Members there who are already concerned about it. So we did get some sound measurements from there. So we'll be keeping an eye out for opportunities to do that.

What would be the level that would be enforceable or the level that we need to be concerned about? Because you see what I mean. Because I used to run sound and I did Rainbow Stadium at that time they called it Rainbow Stadium, Baseball stadium. Yeah. And we had complaints and we was only song checking.

People that was complaining is foreigners. They're not from here, they never see the Special Olympics. They don't know how special. The thing is for us to have these things. So to have something like this, that there's no parameters, I don't understand one or more guardians. Hundred years. How much. How long they been having that event over there?

I don't know. As long as I've been around. That's right. The tree was a little tree. Yeah. Now it's a big tree. So that's what I'm saying. So I just, like. I don't know what. What we would get out of this whole thing, actually, I don't understand.

I think that the number of complaints that we get where folks are very distressed, like going and staying someplace else at a hotel because they can't sleep and they have to go to work at 6 the next morning, that kind of thing. So being able to have some.

And also the part of having the working group is to learn from those folks who are affected and see how we can work with them. We're here to serve the people of Hawaii, and so we're looking for what that balance is. We're certainly open for ideas as you have them. Any other questions?

Yeah, I do.

Are you aware of the process that was engaged that led to the closure of the Farm Fair at Mckinley High School and no sports events at Mckinley. High School after those condominiums all went up right around Mckinley High School?

I was not aware of that, no.

Because my understanding is that Mckinley High. School cannot host sports events at night. And we can't have the farm fair. At Mckinley High School anymore because of all those condos, the street, because of noise. That's what I'm told. But you're not aware of this.

I'm not. I will look into it when I get home.

Yeah. Because my concern is where you go. Hunting for data on a problem, you eventually find the data to justify that there's a problem. And now we have a problem we gotta solve. And I can just see how this inevitably leads to some sort of rule or prohibition or requirement we're gonna have to do because.

So the way the permitting works right now is. And again, generally for things like construction, they put in a request, they determine what their, you know, what time these activities are going to be going on, et cetera.

And if it's in a certain range, we send folks out to do the measure, to do measurements at the time, and we keep track of those things. But again, for things that got to fix a bridge or something else, it's going to be noisy and Then they also notify residential folks within sound distance.

So usually a couple miles.

Couple miles. You're asserting here that noise pollution can lead to hearing loss, high blood pressure. And heart disease. Within a couple mile. Radius of a construction project or in this case, a private concert venue. Seems pretty. Seems pretty significant to not have any kind of. Justifiable. All right, I'm gonna stop. Thank you. Thank you, Chair.

I have a number of questions. If you guys are done with your questions and you guys can do follow up with mine. You kept referring to permitting. So does the Department of Health do the permitting of these events or does the county. Or does the county.

So we're in this particular case, what we're talking about is we issue noise permits, okay. So for work that's going on, and so that if they. During those out, if they are doing that work outside of the permanent hours that they have permitted.

So every event needs to have a noise permit with the Department of Health. Is that a requirement?

Depends on the setting, yes. How close it is to residential, etc. In some cases, near offices, etc. It just depends.

Okay. And you keep referring to a working group, and I see that, but then you don't have any proposed people to serve in the working group. Is it going to be a working group of one Department of Health?

No, we have a list of folks that we've been working with over time who are concerned about these issues. And we're also going to be working with police, with fire folks, you know, folks get that. Get that. Get called.

So you already have a working group?

I'm just describing the Members that we have worked, you know, folks out there that we have worked with before. So, for example, our folks work with the police in Waikiki to assist them. Is that there's a lot of noise down there all the time, but if there's something larger, they can.

We are in the process of working to give them sound meters that will attach their phones.

Okay, so I'm looking at your testimony. Okay. Your testimony says that you urge the establishment of a Hawaii Community Noise Working Group to discuss policies and legislation with respect to noise sources affecting the community. I want to give you that. But it doesn't say who's in the working group. Understood.

So who do I put in the working group? Department of Health. That's it.

No, again, so we've been actively working with the police.

So you want HPD in there. Okay, who else got police and Department of Health?

I don't have a good answer for you at this point. I know we have certainly many contacts, folks that have been talking with us, etc. We actually were able to resolve the pickleball thing with.

Okay, so it sounds like it's something that needs to be deferred until a later date, but we'll talk about that amongst Committee Members. Okay. Any other questions? Just.

Just. You know, I. I heard you bring up HPD a few times. Yeah. So I'll give you an example. In my community, okay, we had fire trucks. The new people that moved into my community, which. Which they're welcome.

Don't want the fire trucks turning on their sirens after 10 o' clock because of noise pollution because they might have a heart attack or kidney failure or whatever you say that can cause trauma. Right. The dog's waking up, the elderly cannot sleep. When is that going to have parameters? Because safety should be a factor. Right? I agree.

Okay. Same like on activity, you can try to regulate one activity. Somebody been having it for 100 years at the monologue. It bothers troublesome because we have events every year. Ever be slides club and intermediate media with sound and music and everything like that is in a residential area. We never had any problems.

But then like Senator K O Cololi said, if we don't go and keep it doing this, then not gonna have nothing. Waikiki shell, you're only gonna have crickets because too loud. Gonna have noise.

But a fire Department, when you can turn on the sirens outside of Waikiki because Waikiki too loud, they grumble about the motorcycles, about the mopeds, they grumble about everything that you can hear. Of majority of these people complaining, 90% never grew up. So how is it fair to the people that grew up here?

Now they go get changed, change things changing because other people that come and dictate how we should live our life. So if you go put anybody on top of there, which I don't agree with the resolution anyway.

So I don't see how you can put HPD there because HPD get caught in the crossfires too, because they turn on their sirens. So I don't know how this is going to work out here. Okay, we'll discuss it. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. Any other questions on SR 165/SCR 205? Okay, moving on. Next up it is--thank you very much--SR 174/SCR 194, requesting Department of Health to reduce the use of disposable surgical equipment and adopt sustainable practices in the provisions of healthcare services, following examples set by California and Japan.

So first up we have Ted Bolan, Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition and Climate Protectors Hawaii, in support, Melodie Aduja, Environmental Caucus, Democratic Party of Hawaii, in support, B.A. McClintock, in support, Melissa Chong, in support. Anybody else wishing to testify on SR 174/SCR 194? Members, any questions? Okay, seeing none, we're gonna do a short recess for decision-making. Short recess.

Recalling the 1:00 calendar for decision-making for SR 12/SCR 16. Chair's recommendation is to pass with amendments. We're going to accept Papa Ola Lokahi's proposed amendments to add in themselves as well as another Native Hawaiian person in it, and we're also going to add in the Hawaii Primary Care Association member and we're also going to add in a member from a community-based grassroots organization like Ka'u Rural Health.

Okay. Any, any comments, questions, concerns? We're going to add in an additional one, two, three, four, four--at least four more members into the group. Any other comments, questions, concerns? Seeing none, vice chair for the vote.

Okay, voting on SR 12/SCR 16, recommendation of the chair is to pass with amendments. Chair and vice chair vote aye. [Roll Call]. Recommendation is adopted, chair.

So for SR 141/SCR 172, there is a lot of interest and a demolition waste reduction working group, and in fact, this Monday we're going to be doing another working group resolution. So for the--for those reasons, we are going to defer this because there's a number of--as the Department of Health pointed out--a number of waste reduction working groups moving.

So we're going to defer this one. Okay. As far as the next one, SR 165/SCR 205: lively discussions. So we are going to pass this with Department of Health's proposed amendments, and my vice chair pointed out that you did list a bunch of people in your working group.

So we're going to, we're going to create this working group per your written testimony, which would include: a Senate member, a House member--but the chair will be Department of Health--a member of the County Council--well, since it's primarily a Honolulu issue, we're going to make it a member of the City and County of Honolulu Council Member--somebody from the Attorney General's Office, a member of the Department of Law Enforcement, a member of HPD, a member of the Prosecutor's Office, a member of the Public Defender's Office, and any other member that the group we have designated consider to be appropriate.

Any other comments, questions, concerns?

Chair, if you--yeah.

Oh yeah. Excuse me. And we're also going to include in a sound expert.

Thank you.

Thank you. Okay, any other comments, questions, concerns? Seeing none. Vice chair for the vote.

Okay. SR 160/SCR 205. Our recommendation is to pass with amendments, so all members are present. Any reservations? Any noes? Recommendation is adopted, chair.

Okay. For SR 174/SCR 194, chair's recommendation is we're just going to accept the pass--to pass this with amendments. We're going to accept Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition and Climate Protectors' proposed amendments because it's not just Department of Health that needs to redo surgical equipment. Okay. Any other comments, questions, concerns? Seeing none, pass with amendments.

Okay. SR 174/SCR 194: recommendation is to pass with amendments. All members are present. Any reservations? Any noes? Recommendation is adopted, chair.

And with that we are adjourned. Thank you very much.