Requires hospitals with emergency departments that are licensed in the State to submit syndromic surveillance data to the Department of Health. Authorizes the Department of Health to establish a state syndromic surveilla, the official text

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

3132

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

H.D. 2

C.D. 1

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO SYNDROMIC SURVEILLANCE.

BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1.
The legislature finds that timely reporting of data is critical to the
ability of public health officials to detect and respond to health threats and
disease trends.  Syndromic surveillance
is the analysis of health-related data from events that affect health status
and outcomes for public health purposes, such as early detection of disease
outbreaks.  Syndromic surveillance
provides automated, near real-time collection and transmission of data,
including but not limited to chief complaint, discharge diagnosis, visit dates,
patient demographics, patient zip code, and facility location.  Syndromic surveillance data is de-identified,
meaning that patient names, addresses, and other data elements that could
identify an individual are not transmitted.

The value of syndromic surveillance has
been demonstrated in the State during responses to wildfires, volcanic
eruptions, drinking water contamination, and communicable disease
outbreaks.  Syndromic surveillance in
these events prompted real-time clinical guidance and targeted health interventions,
informed resource allocation decisions, and guided public messaging.

The legislature also finds that the use of
syndromic surveillance data, currently collected through the National Syndromic
Surveillance Program, can enable the department of health and other state
agencies to better monitor, act on, and understand a wide range of public
health concerns, including communicable disease, chronic disease, disaster and
terrorism response, climate and weather-related illness and injury, gun
violence, suicidal ideation, and drug use and overdose.

At present, the department of health can
access and analyze data collected by the National Syndromic Surveillance
Program.  However, data is submitted to
that program on a voluntary basis and the department of health does not have
the authority to require participation or determine how data is submitted.  Additionally, the State's dependence on the
National Syndromic Surveillance Program, which is federally funded and
administered, leaves the State vulnerable to changes in federal data collection
priorities.  Furthermore, the National
Syndromic Surveillance Program offers minimal flexibility and does not always
meet the needs of the State to the extent necessary for adequate public health
management.  The department of health is
unable to customize analyses of data from the National Syndromic Surveillance
Program to the State's population and public health concerns, including health
disparities.  Because participation in
the National Syndromic Surveillance Program is voluntary, there are
geographical "data deserts" in rural areas where the department of
health has an incomplete understanding of public health concerns.

The legislature further finds that the
department of health's recently updated electronic disease surveillance system
can support a local syndromic surveillance system that does not rely on a
federal data system and is more customizable, allowing for integration with
other department of health systems and more efficient collaboration with other
state agencies.

The legislature additionally finds that it
is critical that the department of health retain and strengthen its ability to
collect and use syndromic surveillance data independent of federal systems to
ensure the department can rapidly detect and respond to public health threats.

Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to:

(1)  Require all hospitals with emergency
departments licensed in the State to report syndromic surveillance data to the
department of health; and

(2)  Authorize the department of health to establish
a state syndromic surveillance data reporting program.

SECTION 2.
Chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new part to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

"PART .  SYNDROMIC SURVEILLANCE

§321-   Definitions.  As used in this part:

"Department" means the department
of health.

"Syndromic surveillance data"
means de‑identified data that signals a sufficient probability of a case,
an outbreak of disease, or other event that may warrant a public health
response, including but not limited to:

(1)  Chief
complaint;

(2)  Discharge
diagnosis;

(3)  Visit
dates;

(4)  Patient
demographics;

(5)  Patient
zip code; and

(6)  Facility
location.

§321-
Syndromic surveillance data collection;
authorized.  (a)  All
hospitals with emergency departments that are licensed in the State shall
report syndromic surveillance data to the department in a manner and format
specified by the department on its website.
Information required to be reported includes data regarding:

(1)  Infectious
or communicable diseases;

(2)  Noninfectious
causes of acute or chronic illness;

(3)  Intentional
or accidental use or misuse of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear
agents;

(4)  Adverse
environmental events or natural disasters, including but not limited to
hurricanes, floods, and fires; or

(5)  Any
other emerging threat or condition affecting public health.

(b)
The department may establish by rules adopted pursuant to chapter 91 a
state syndromic surveillance data reporting system to collect, maintain, and
analyze syndromic surveillance data.

(c)
The department may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to require additional
entities, including but not limited to urgent care facilities, emergency
medical services providers, other health care facilities, and poison control
centers, to submit syndromic surveillance data.

§321-   Confidentiality.  Syndromic surveillance data shall be
confidential and shall only be shared or redisclosed pursuant to federal and state
laws, regulations, and rules governing health information privacy and security or
for research purposes that have been approved by the department's institutional
review board; provided that the department may publicly release aggregated
statistical data that does not allow identification of individuals.

§321-   Rules.  The director of health may adopt
rules pursuant to chapter 91 necessary to carry out the purposes of this part."

SECTION 3.
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.