STAND. COM. REP. NO. 923

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1430

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1430, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to establish and operate a comprehensive service center for deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind individuals.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Disability and Communication Access Board, Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Community Alliance for Mental Health, Domestic Violence Action Center, and nine individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

 

     Your Committee finds that a center providing comprehensive services for deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind individuals in Hawaii has been the dream of the deaf community in Hawaii since 1972.  The creation of a comprehensive service center is intended to promote individual growth, social awareness, productivity, and equality by empowering deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind individuals to be full participants in Hawaii's overall community.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Consolidating the two separate appropriations into one appropriation for fiscal years 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 for the establishment and operation of a comprehensive service center for the deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind;

 

     (2)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $300,000 per fiscal year; and

 

     (3)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1430, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1430, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair