Clarifies vocational rehabilitation provider selection
Hawaii Legislative Events
Summary
Hawaii HB1514 clarifies the process for selecting certified vocational rehabilitation providers under workers' compensation. The bill requires providers to automatically approve vocational rehabilitation services for injured employees found feasible for suitable gainful employment, and mandates filing of rehabilitation plans within 120 days of the initial evaluation report unless extended by the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations. The bill also clarifies employer objection procedures for rehabilitation plans.
What changed
HB1514 establishes new mandatory approval requirements for certified vocational rehabilitation providers in workers' compensation cases. Providers must automatically approve services when the initial evaluation finds the injured employee feasible to participate in suitable gainful employment, removing previous discretionary approval authority. The bill also imposes a 120-day deadline for filing rehabilitation plans following initial evaluation submission. These changes shift provider obligations from case-by-case evaluation to standardized automatic approval when feasibility criteria are met.
Affected parties including vocational rehabilitation providers, employers, and insurers should prepare for streamlined approval processes and concrete filing timelines. Providers must update internal procedures to comply with the automatic approval mandate and 120-day filing deadline. Employers gain clearer rights to object to rehabilitation plans, creating new procedural safeguards in the vocational rehabilitation process under Hawaii workers' compensation law.
What to do next
- Monitor for Governor's signature and implementing regulations from Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
- Update vocational rehabilitation provider procedures to reflect automatic approval requirements for feasible employees
- Establish 120-day internal deadline for filing employee rehabilitation plans
Source document (simplified)
ChangeBridge / Hawaii / HB1514 Passed HB1514 House Bill Passed 2026-03-10
Relating To Workers' Compensation.
Clarifies the process for selecting a certified provider of vocational rehabilitation services. Requires certified providers to automatically approve vocational rehabilitation services for an injured employee if those services will likely be required for suitable gainful employment and the initial evaluation report finds the injured employee feasible to participate. Requires providers to file an employee's vocational rehabilitation plan no later than one hundred twenty days after submitting an initial evaluation report, unless extended by the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations. Clarifies the process for an employer to object to a vocational rehabilitation plan. Effective 1/1/2077. (SD1)
Bill Details
State Hawaii
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber House
Official Source www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_ind...
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Sponsors
Scot Matayoshi (Rep - D) Tina Grandinetti (Rep - D) Greggor Ilagan (Rep - D) Darius Kila (Rep - D) Lisa Kitagawa (Rep - D) Mike Lee (Rep - D) Lisa Marten (Rep - D) Daynette Morikawa (Rep - D) Ikaika Olds (Rep - D) Adrian Tam (Rep - D) David Tarnas (Rep - D)
Action History
2026-04-07 S The committee(s) on CPN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in CPN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keohokalole, Fukunaga, Lamosao, McKelvey; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Awa. 2026-04-02 S The committee(s) on CPN will hold a public decision making on 04-07-26 9:25AM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference. 2026-03-30 S Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to CPN. 2026-03-30 S Reported from LBT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3353) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to CPN. 2026-03-23 S The committee(s) on LBT recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in LBT were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Elefante, Lamosao, Moriwaki; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Ihara, Fevella. 2026-03-20 S The committee(s) on LBT has scheduled a public hearing on 03-23-26 3:01PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference. 2026-03-17 S Re-Referred to LBT, CPN. 2026-03-12 S Referred to LBT, WAM. 2026-03-12 S Passed First Reading. 2026-03-12 S Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 234). 2026-03-10 H Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia voting no (1) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate. 2026-03-06 H Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-10-26. 2026-03-06 H Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1050-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading. 2026-02-26 H The committee on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Matayoshi, Grandinetti, Chun, Ilagan, Ichiyama, Kong, Lowen, Tam; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Iwamoto, Marten, Pierick. 2026-02-24 H Bill scheduled to be heard by CPC on Thursday, 02-26-26 2:00PM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. 2026-02-20 H Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on CPC with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1). 2026-02-20 H Reported from LAB (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 631-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC. 2026-02-17 H The committee on LAB recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Sayama, Lee, M., Garrett, Kapela, Kong, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none. 2026-02-13 H Bill scheduled to be heard by LAB on Tuesday, 02-17-26 9:00AM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. 2026-01-26 H Referred to LAB, CPC, referral sheet 1 2026-01-21 H Introduced and Pass First Reading. 2026-01-14 H Prefiled.
Votes
2026-03-23 Senate Labor and Technology: Passed, With Amendments Yea: 3 Nay: 0 2026-04-07 Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection: Passed, Unamended Yea: 4 Nay: 0
Committee Referrals
2026-01-26 H Labor & Public Employment 2026-02-20 H Consumer Protection & Commerce 2026-03-12 S Labor and Technology 2026-03-30 S Commerce and Consumer Protection
Bill Text Versions
2026-01-14 Introduced 2026-02-19 Amended 2026-03-06 Amended 2026-03-28 Amended
Subjects
Workers' Compensation Vocational Rehabilitation Services Certified Providers Automatic Approval Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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