The state Legislature is considering a measure that would stockpile 1,000 doses of the abortion drug mifepristone.
The bill is meant to protect Hawaiʻi's inventory of the drug in case federal laws or court rulings limit access.
Four other states have already adopted similar measures.
A concern is the federal Comstock Act, which prohibits mailing obscene or illicit articles used to produce an abortion. Anti-abortion organizations have pointed to this act as a way to ban the mailing and distribution of mifepristone.
The Comstock Act hasn’t been enforced for decades, but abortion-rights advocates are concerned that could change due to the 2022 Supreme Court decision that ended federal protections for abortions and President Donald Trump’s new administration.
Lorrin Kim from the state Department of Health told Rep. Terez Amato of Maui that the department is working to spread access to the other counties.
“I wish I could give you a slam dunk answer, but it is a priority to make sure that counties other than the City and County of Honolulu have access to this, [that] neighbor islands are at the forefront,” he said.
“Oʻahu, as you know, as a representative from a neighbor island, we have everything. So it's relatively easy here, and we're working hard to make sure that our neighbor island residents have equity in access to this. I just don't have the details at this time because there's so many things in flux.”
The measure passed out of the House Health Committee and will next be heard by the full chamber.
