STAND. COM. REP. NO.450

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: H.B. No. 490

H.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 490 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that every blind or visually-impaired child is instructed in Braille if deemed appropriate for the individual through the individualized education program (IEP) process. It also provides for:

(1) Instructional materials in braille; and

(2) Certified teachers for the blind and visually impaired.

The Disability and Communication Access Board, the National Federation of the Blind, and several individuals testified in support of the bill. The Department of Education opposed the bill.

Your Committees find that the utilization of braille for the blind or visually impaired can greatly improve the quality of life of such individuals. Your Committees believe that every child has the right to be trained in whatever form of reading and writing is most appropriate. This bill creates a proper statutory structure to support Braille instruction when it is determined to be the appropriate form of written communication for an individual.

Your Committees further find that it was not the intention of this bill to mandate instruction in Braille for all blind or visually impaired individuals. It was also not the intention of this bill to infringe upon the discretionary authority of the IEP process.

Upon further consideration, your Committees have amended this bill by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments to clarify its intent.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 490, as amended herein, recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance, in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 490, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Health,

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DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair

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KEN ITO, Chair