STAND. COM. REP. NO. 430

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 159
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 159 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR VOCATIONAL
     REHABILITATION AND SERVICES FOR THE BLIND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make an appropriation for
vocational rehabilitation and services for the blind.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Human Services (DHS), Hawaii State
Coordinating Council on Deafness, Aloha State Association of the
Deaf, and Hawaii Association of the Blind.

     This measure would enable the DHS to increase its resources
to provide vocational rehabilitation services to the blind to
enable them to return to work.

     Your Committee has amended this measure on the
recommendation of the DHS to include an amount for an American
sign language/English interpreter.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 159, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 159,
S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 430
                                   Page 2



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



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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