STAND. COM. REP. NO.516

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1208

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Science, Arts, and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 1208 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require state and county agencies, beginning effective January 1, 2004, to include the Hawaiian language in all letterheads, official documents, emblems, and symbols, when the replacement of such is required.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committee finds that Article XV, section 4 of the Hawaii State Constitution identifies the Hawaiian language as an official language of the State. Your Committee further finds that as such, agencies of the State and its political subdivisions should be required to use the Hawaiian language on official documents in recognition of the significance of our native Hawaiian culture. Your Committee agrees that there could be conflicting interpretations regarding the proper orthography of the language, and thus believes that Hawaiian language experts should be consulted prior to the implementation of this measure.

Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by establishing a Hawaiian language interim task force to develop an implementation plan, including identifying necessary resources and an official reference to be used by state and county agencies to meet the purposes of this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Science, Arts, and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1208, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1208, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Science, Arts, and Technology,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair