STAND. COM. REP. NO. 145-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 2779

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2779 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISCRIMINATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that an individual is not denied state or county services due to the individual's lack of English-language proficiency by making the denial of such services a civil rights violation. This bill also prohibits county agencies, or programs or activities receiving county financial assistance, from discriminating against an individual because of the individual's disability.

The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline, Na Loio – Immigrant Rights and Public Interest Legal Center, and the Inter-Agency Council for Immigrant and Refugee Services testified in support of this bill. The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Changing the effective date to January 1, 2096, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2779, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2779, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair