Senate Bill 1154, heard Jan. 31 by the joint committees, would require the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) to construct, establish and operate a disease and environmental toxin testing laboratory to accept samples from the public for testing of human disease and environmental media such as water, air and soil.

Ed Desmond, state laboratory administrator, told senators the state already provides many of the services envisioned by the bill. "For the environmental samples, testing is already available. At the state laboratory, we test water and food samples," he said, and noted the state lab plans to test for PFAS in the near future. Desmond explained the technical and quality-control steps required to offer reliable testing, including method validation, standard operating procedures, proficiency testing and personnel competency checks.

JABSOM's interim associate dean for research, Steve Ward, testified by Zoom that the medical school is focused on medical education and research and "does not have the expertise to do soil" testing and that retrofitting labs for these services "would cost a tremendous amount of money." Community advocates including Anthony Chantze of Hui O'onua urged easier local soil testing to support urban agriculture projects; Chantze said his group is developing a 44-acre farm and needs soil testing to confirm safe planting.

Why it matters: Proponents argued a public-facing laboratory at JABSOM would give communities direct access to testing for environmental contaminants and pathogens. State lab officials and JABSOM warned of overlap with existing state services, large start-up costs, and the regulatory and quality systems needed to provide medically actionable results.

Committee questions and next steps: Senators asked whether state laboratory capacity could be expanded instead of creating a separate JABSOM facility; Desmond said many tests already exist at the state lab and emphasized the extensive validation and quality systems necessary for public testing. JABSOM declined to support the bill in written testimony and in oral remarks. No committee decision was taken during the hearing; the committee rolled decision making to a later date and asked agencies to coordinate on where testing capacity should be located.

Ending: The committee requested follow-up from DOH, the state laboratory, and JABSOM on existing services, costs to expand capacity and potential coordination options before taking a vote.