Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateHawaiiTo Governor
SB 847: RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS.
Dru Kanuha
SB 847 status: To Governor — Became law without the Governor's signature, Act 266, 07/16/2026, (Gov. Msg. No. 1370) (updated Jul 16, 2026).
Source
LegiScan
Confidence
High
Analysis basis
LegiScan full bill text
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
68OUT OF 100
Score:68/100 civic fit
Risk:Moderate Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 40/100
Constitutionality95%
Bipartisan90%
Public opinion85%
Bill summary
Establishes a three-year pilot program in the County of Kauai and County of Hawaii to allow qualified psychologists under the supervision of a supervising physician or psychiatrist limited authority to prescribe certain psychotropic medications to patients between the ages of 18 and 65 years under the care of the psychologist. Requires the Board of Psychology to adopt rules. Requires the State Health Planning and Development Agency to report to the Legislature. (CD1)
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
Positive outlook
65%
Benefits
- Enables medicaid reimbursement for psychotropic prescriptions by psychologists
- Supports operational capacity of FQHCs through extended provider scope
- Reduces costs associated with referral wait times and travel to off-island specialists
Risks
- Increases administrative and compliance costs for the Board of Psychology
- Potential costs to physicians or facilities providing mandated supervision
- Liability insurance premium adjustments for participating psychologists
Society
Positive outlook
70%
Benefits
- Increases access to mental health services in federally designated underserved areas
- Addresses regional shortages of psychiatrists
- Integrates mental health treatment within established patient-provider relationships
Risks
- Geographic limitation excludes underserved populations in other counties
- Age restrictions exclude pediatric and geriatric patients from the pilot
- Complexity in patient understanding of roles between psychologist and physician
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
Positive outlook
60%
Benefits
- Mandates a formal report from SHPDA to the legislature on pilot findings
- Requires board-certified educational and examination standards for participants
- Establishes a legislative sunset-style assessment of the pilot
Risks
- Pilot duration of three years may limit depth of long-term longitudinal data
- Potential for regulatory capture within the Board of Psychology
- Reliance on SHPDA for high-quality evaluative reporting
Public Health & Safety
Positive outlook
75%
Benefits
- Addresses critical mental health professional shortage area designations
- Utilizes physician-led supervision to maintain safety standards
- Limits prescribing authority to evidence-based psychotropic medications
Risks
- Psychologists may have less training in managing complex physical comorbidities
- Supervision capacity may be limited in rural or understaffed clinics
- Potential for diagnostic overshadowing by non-physicians
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
LegiScan
Official bill text or data from LegiScan.
Confidence
High
Information is complete and verified.
Analysis basis
LegiScan full bill text
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
The 18-65 age limitation creates a care gap for younger and older patients.
Analysis scope
Source text does not quantify the specific number of psychologists likely to participate.
04
Where it stands
Official record- IntroducedComplete
- CommitteeComplete
- Chamber votesComplete
- Final agreementComplete
- GovernorCurrent
- EnactedUpcoming
05
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06
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