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HCR 22

URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO PASS H.R. 2687, ALSO KNOWN AS THE END KIDNEY DEATHS ACT.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Diamond Garcia and 8 co-sponsors

Hawaii urges Congress to pass H.R. 2687 to expand kidney transplantation and create refundable tax credits for living kidney donations, aiming to save lives and cut costs.

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 538).
#endkidneydeathsact #kidneydisease #kidneydonation #taxcredits
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Bill Summary · HCR 22

Hawaii State Bill: HCR 22 (2026) — URGING Congress to Pass H.R. 2687 (End Kidney Deaths Act)

Overview

  • Type: Concurrent Resolution (HCR) in the Hawaii Legislature
  • Session: 2026
  • Jurisdiction: Hawaii
  • Purpose: Urge the United States Congress to pass H.R. 2687, the End Kidney Deaths Act
  • Status: Passed through multiple committees and chambers in Hawaii; referred to EIG/HHS (Energy & Infrastructure? Economic/Health & Human Services) for consideration as of the latest action history excerpt

Legislative Intent

  • Expresses strong support for federal action to expand kidney transplantation access and reduce kidney-related deaths.
  • Frames kidney disease as a public health and equity issue, noting disproportionate impact on people of color, rural communities, and low-income populations.
  • Seeks to reduce national kidney-related suffering and health care costs by promoting kidney transplantation over long-term dialysis where appropriate.

Key Provisions and Provisions’ Impact (Substantive Content)

Since HCRs are resolutions and do not themselves establish law, the substantive impact lies in what they urge Congress to do. The accompanying bill H.R. 2687 (End Kidney Deaths Act) contains the following core proposals, as summarized from the resolution’s text and context:

  • federal policy objective:
    • Increase kidney transplantation rates and reduce deaths from kidney disease by expanding access to transplant therapies, including living donor transplantation
  • targeted reform mechanism:
    • Create regulated, refundable tax credits for individuals who donate a kidney to a stranger (non-directed living donation)
    • Maintain and reinforce existing donor protections (medical, psychological, ethical safeguards)
  • expected public health impact:
    • Potential to save up to 10,000 lives per year by increasing transplant access
    • Potential reduction in federal health care spending by roughly $4 billion annually due to shift from dialysis to transplantation
    • Each kidney transplant estimated to save about $500,000 over the lifetime cost of dialysis
  • comparison of strategies:
    • Kidney transplantation not only improves patient outcomes and independence but is also presented as more cost-effective long-term than dialysis
  • supporting rationale:
    • Living donor transplants are highlighted as the optimal form of kidney care with better graft survival than deceased donor transplants
    • Living donation is already highly regulated with safeguards to protect donors

Who Would Be Affected

  • Kidney disease patients, particularly:
    • Individuals on dialysis who could become transplant recipients
    • People in rural or low-income communities facing disparities in access to timely treatment
  • Potential living kidney donors:
    • Individuals considering non-directed (donor-to-stranger) kidney donation
  • Federal financial landscape:
    • Federal taxpayers and health program funding could see reduced long-term costs associated with dialysis if transplantation expands

Procedural and Timeline Aspects (Hawaii Legislative Action)

  • Action history indicates a multi-step process within Hawaii:
    • March–April 2026: Referred to committees; HLT (Heart/Lung/???; in Hawaii, Health) and JHA (Judiciary & Labor & Agriculture) committees engaged
    • April 7, 2026: JHA committee recommended passage, unamended
    • April 9–10, 2026: Transmitted from House to Senate; subsequently adopted in committee and released as part of House Concurrent Resolution No. 22
    • April 9–10, 2026: House adopted the measure with concurrence from the Senate
  • Final action required:
    • The resolution invites and urges federal action; it does not impose binding requirements on Hawaii residents or state agencies
    • Certified copies will be sent to federal leadership (President, Speaker of the House, Senate President), and Hawaii’s congressional delegation

Sponsorship

  • Primary sponsors and co-sponsors from Hawaii include: Adriаn Tam, Chris Muraoka, Lisa Kitagawa, Gregg Takayama, Julie Reyes Oda, Diamond Garcia, Kim Coco Iwamoto, Lisa Marten, Ikaika Olds

Summary in Plain Language

HCR 22 is Hawaii’s formal request to Congress to pass H.R. 2687, the End Kidney Deaths Act, which would create refundable tax credits to encourage non-directed kidney donations and promote kidney transplantation as a cost-saving, life-saving alternative to long-term dialysis. The measure emphasizes health equity, noting racial and geographic disparities in kidney disease outcomes, and argues that expanding transplants could save thousands of lives annually and reduce federal healthcare spending. Hawaii’s Legislature urges federal action and asks its delegation to support the Act, underscoring the potential public health and economic benefits while noting strong donor protections are already in place for living kidney donation.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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