STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1650

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.C.R. No. 54
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Human
Services and Housing, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 54
entitled: 

     "HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING A HAWAII STATE LAW
     ON EMPLOYMENT OF SEVERELY HANDICAPPED PERSONS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to examine
state law with regard to the employment of severely handicapped
persons by requesting the Commission on Persons with
Disabilities, the Department of Human Services' Vocational
Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind Division, and the
Department of Human Resources Development (DHRD) to convene to:

     (1)  Conduct a comprehensive review of state law on this
          matter; and

     (2)  Submit their findings, recommendations, and any
          proposed legislation to the Legislature prior to the
          2000 Regular Session.

     The Department of Human Services, the State Planning Council
on Developmental Disabilities, the Commission on Persons with
Disabilities, the Hawaii State Coordinating Council on Deafness,
and an individual testified in support of this measure.  The
Department of Health testified in support of the intent of this
measure.  DHRD and an individual commented on this measure.


 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1650
                                 Page 2

 
     Due to the broadness of this issue, your Committees
respectfully request that the Committee on Finance examine this
measure by replacing the term "handicapped" with the term
"disability" or "people with disabilities".

     Related to this matter, your Committees also request that
DHRD examine the issue of "exempt status" as part of general
civil service reform review and other related issues.  In
addition, your Committees recommend that the review participants
in the measure examine other states, Maryland in particular, and
how these states deal with the issue of providing exempt or
special status for people with disabilities.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Human Services and
Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees concur
with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 54, and recommend that
it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Labor and Public
                                   Employment and Human Services
                                   and Housing,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
DENNIS ARAKAKI, Chair              TERRY NUI YOSHINAGA, Chair