STAND. COM. REP. NO.1147-02

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2568

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2568, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LANGUAGE ACCESS FOR PERSONS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that persons with limited English proficiency have full access to services provided by the State.

Specifically, this bill:

(1) Establishes the Hawaii Commission on Language Access (Commission) to develop a statewide plan to enhance access to services for persons with limited proficiency in English;

(2) Appropriates funds for a part-time administrator, part-time office support personnel, and necessary travel expenses for the Commission; and

(3) Appropriates funds to the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Human Services (DHS) to develop and implement systems by which persons with limited English proficiency can meaningfully access services consistent with the mission of DOH or DHS, respectively.

The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Na Loio, and Catholic Charities testified in support of this measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Inserting the appropriation amount of $1 to facilitate further discussion for a part-time administrator, part-time office support personnel, and necessary travel expenses for the Commission;

(2) Inserting the amount of $1 to facilitate further discussion for DOH to develop and implement systems by which persons with limited English proficiency can meaningfully access services consistent with the mission of DOH;

(3) Inserting the appropriation amount of $1 to facilitate further discussion for DHS to develop and implement systems by which persons with limited English proficiency can meaningfully access services consistent with the mission of DHS;

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2002; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, conformity, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2568, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2568, S.D. 2,

H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair