STAND. COM. REP. 937

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1427

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1427 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RELAY SERVICES FOR DEAF, HARD-OF-HEARING, AND SPEECH-IMPAIRED PERSONS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to require the Disability and Communication Access Board (DCAB) to monitor relay services for deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired persons in Hawaii.

DCAB, the Assistive Technology Resource Centers of Hawaii, Aloha State Association of the Deaf, and several concerned individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure. Verizon Hawaii submitted comments.

Your Committees find that relay services are necessary for deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired persons in Hawaii to adequately and efficiently communicate with others. Furthermore, it is vital to the health and safety of persons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired to have a monitoring system in place to assure that direct communication access to emergency services is available.

 

Your Committees have amended the bill by:

(1) Requiring the Auditor to conduct an audit of the DCAB Special Fund and the scope of services and funds used for relay services;

(2) Appropriating funds from the DCAB Special Fund to provide for the costs of the audit; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1427, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1427, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing,

 

____________________________

MICHAEL PUAMAMO KAHIKINA, Chair

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair