Hearing loss is frequently misunderstood as a simple communication barrier, but its reach extends far into education, employment, healthy aging, social connection, cognitive health, and overall quality of life. Recognizing the profound ways unaddressed hearing issues impact individuals across all stages of life, the State of Hawaii has taken a decisive step forward. On July 10, 2026, Hawaii officially signed into law House Bill 1974 (C.D. 1), establishing a practical and meaningful framework to transform hearing healthcare across the islands.
The new law represents the culmination of dedicated advocacy from members of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) and numerous advocates within the broader hearing loss community. Under the legislation, the Hawaii State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA) is directed to create a comprehensive State Plan on Hearing Loss. This initiative will serve as a foundational blueprint, enabling policymakers, healthcare providers, and community stakeholders to better understand regional needs, close persistent service gaps, and strengthen access to essential hearing care statewide.
HB 1974 tasks SHPDA with developing and publishing a statewide strategy explicitly focused on improving hearing healthcare access and affordability, increasing public awareness, expanding the specialized healthcare workforce, and prioritizing early detection, intervention, treatment options, and long-term outcomes. The initiative addresses the needs of residents spanning all age groups, from newborn infants to older adults. While the legislation does not instantly dismantle every existing barrier to care, the forthcoming Hawaii State Plan establishes a shared, coordinated roadmap for future initiatives, fundamentally reshaping how the state approaches hearing health services.
To ensure the initiative is properly supported, the bill appropriates $100,000 in general funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, dedicated entirely to funding SHPDA’s work in drafting, reviewing, and publishing the comprehensive plan. These resources are designated for vital aspects of the project, including project management, interagency collaboration, statewide stakeholder engagement, and consultations with subject matter experts.
What makes this legislation particularly significant is its built-in framework for ongoing planning, implementation, and long-term accountability. The state is legally required to provide regular progress updates and policy recommendations during every odd-numbered legislative session. This requirement ensures that hearing health remains an active, permanent fixture in Hawaii’s legislative priorities and long-term public policy discussions, elevating hearing health to a recognized public health priority.
For years, both children and adults living with hearing loss in Hawaii have navigated a complex array of obstacles. Residents have frequently faced delayed diagnoses, a lack of structured follow-up care, difficulties locating qualified local services, prohibitively high costs for hearing aids and assistive technology, limited public awareness, severe workforce shortages, and an overall healthcare system that is difficult to navigate. Although numerous organizations, clinics, and dedicated providers have worked tirelessly to support individuals, Hawaii has historically lacked a coordinated statewide effort to systematically identify systemic gaps and construct a unified, long-term strategy for improving hearing health.
HB 1974 fundamentally changes this landscape. Spearheaded by SHPDA, the newly established planning process is designed to bring together a diverse coalition of stakeholders, including healthcare providers, educators, government agencies, community organizations, and individuals possessing lived experience with hearing loss. This collaborative environment will ensure that the resulting draft plan accurately identifies priorities and translates practical recommendations into meaningful, actionable solutions across the state.
The momentum that brought HB 1974 to the governor’s desk began when members of Hawaii’s hearing loss community initiated critical conversations with key lawmakers regarding the urgent need for a statewide hearing health strategy. These efforts gained substantial traction when the Hawaii Kupuna Caucus, a bipartisan legislative group focused specifically on issues affecting older adults, selected HB 1974 as one of its priority bills for the legislative session. This endorsement significantly elevated awareness and built broad bipartisan support for the initiative throughout the legislature.
Riding on this wave of momentum, the community united around a common goal to advance the bill through both chambers. Members of the HLAA HOPE support group, alongside audiologists, ear, nose, and throat (ENT) physicians, speech and hearing professionals, family caregivers, and numerous community organizations, actively participated by submitting formal testimony and advocating throughout the entire House and Senate legislative process. The collaborative effort culminated in a historic legislative achievement for the state’s healthcare landscape.
With the enactment of this legislation, Hawaii joins a select group of five other states that have already established similar statewide planning efforts, including Nevada, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York. These existing state frameworks served as valuable models for the drafting and structuring of HB 1974.
A cornerstone of this statewide effort is its commitment to placing people with lived experience directly at the center of the conversation. Individuals and families who navigate the daily realities of hearing loss will play a central role in shaping the recommendations and priorities moving forward, working alongside healthcare providers, educators, government agencies, and local community organizations.
The comprehensive planning process is officially underway, with an initial draft plan anticipated by the end of 2026. Once the draft is finalized, the focus of the community and state agencies will pivot toward active implementation, turning identified goals into tangible improvements for residents statewide.
