Committee advances funding measure for West Hawaii outpatient center; Queen's pledges initial funds
February 13, 2026 | House Committee on Human Services, House of Representatives, Legislative , Hawaii
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
The House Committee on Health voted to move forward House Bill 19-78, a measure relating to the West Hawaii regional health-care system and an outpatient care center in North Kona.
Ed Chu of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation said HHSC stands on written testimony in strong support. A Queens Health Systems representative updated the committee that Queen's board has appropriated an initial $30,000,000 to select an architect and finalize drawings for the project and that the system is coordinating with Kona Community Hospital and HHSC.
Wendy Larras, president and CEO of the Kona Kohala Chamber of Commerce, said passage will support workforce stability, business retention and regional economic development and urged the committee to remove the $50,000,000 appropriation from statute and instead place it in report language; the chair accepted that approach and moved the bill forward with amendments.
The committee adopted the recommendation to pass with amendments and moved the bill as a house draft.
Ed Chu of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation said HHSC stands on written testimony in strong support. A Queens Health Systems representative updated the committee that Queen's board has appropriated an initial $30,000,000 to select an architect and finalize drawings for the project and that the system is coordinating with Kona Community Hospital and HHSC.
Wendy Larras, president and CEO of the Kona Kohala Chamber of Commerce, said passage will support workforce stability, business retention and regional economic development and urged the committee to remove the $50,000,000 appropriation from statute and instead place it in report language; the chair accepted that approach and moved the bill forward with amendments.
The committee adopted the recommendation to pass with amendments and moved the bill as a house draft.
Don't Miss a Word: See the Full Meeting!
Go beyond summaries. Unlock every video, transcript, and key insight with a Founder Membership.
✓
Get instant access to full meeting videos
✓
Search and clip any phrase from complete transcripts
✓
Receive AI-powered summaries & custom alerts
✓
Enjoy lifetime, unrestricted access to government data
30-day money-back guarantee
