STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2346

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2494
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 2494 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPOWERMENT OF THE BLIND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow the State Committee
of Blind Vendors (Vendors) to hire outside counsel and to
establish financial procedures to increase the flexibility of
Vendors to expend moneys in the Randolph-Sheppard revolving
account (Account).

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the State Committee of Blind Vendors.  Testimony in
opposition was received from the Attorney General.

     The intent of this measure is to empower the State's blind
vendors to assert and protect their rights under chapter 347,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to blind and visually
handicapped persons, especially as it relates to retaining their
newsstand concessions at the Honolulu International Airport.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying the purpose to allow the Vendors to hire
          private attorneys and to delete reference to the
          Attorney General's representation;


 
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     (2)  Allowing the Vendors to hire outside counsel if it
          determines that the Attorney General is unable to
          protect the Vendors' constitutional and statutory
          rights;

     (3)  Requiring that moneys in the non-federal source
          subaccount be expended for the purposes of the Account;
          and

     (4)  Requiring at the beginning of each fiscal year if
          appropriated by the legislature, the Director of Human
          Services to transfer moneys from the non-federal source
          subaccount.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 2494, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2494,
S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health and Human
                                   Services,



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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