HONOLULU — Gov. Linda Lingle has signed legislation requiring health insurers to cover colorectal cancer screening tests.

Lingle approved the measure, SB 2599, on Wednesday.

The bill notes that more than one-third of deaths from colorectal cancer could have been avoided if regular colorectal screenings had been conducted after the age of 50.

Starting in March 2011, insurers must at least partially pay for screenings, and to inform their customers about the risks associated with undiagnosed colorectal-cancer and the availability of the tests.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, the Hawaii Association of Health Plans and the American Cancer Society supported the legislation.