STAND. COM. REP. NO. 451

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 865
                                        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. 865 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEAF AND BLIND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a blue ribbon
panel to improve services to the deaf, hard of hearing, and
deaf-blind.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Human Service (DHS), Department of Health
(DOH), American Sign Language/Interpreter Education Program at
Kapiolani Community College, Aloha State Association of the Deaf,
Hawaii Services on Deafness, and a private citizen.
Informational testimony was provided by the Commission on Persons
with Disabilities.

     Your Committee finds that there are an estimated 72,000
persons in Hawaii who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind,
who are receiving inadequate or unacceptable levels of public
services.  This measure convenes a blue ribbon panel to review
existing services and to make recommendations accordingly to the
legislature and the Governor.

     Your Committee has amended this measure on the
recommendations of the Commission on Persons with Disabilities,
as follows:


 
a                                                     SB865 SD1
                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 451
                                   Page 2


     (1)  Changing "deaf and blind" to "deaf-blind";

     (2)  Making the "blue ribbon panel" the "governor's blue
          ribbon panel" and requiring the governor to make the
          appointments;

     (3)  Changing the organizations to be represented on the
          panel;

     (4)  Modifying the objectives of the panel's study;

     (5)  Changing the programs and services to be reviewed by
          the panel; 

     (6)  Providing for a progress report before the 2000 session
          and a final report before the 2001 session; and

     (7)  Changing the appropriation amount from $5,000, to
          $75,000, to include specified services.

     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. 865, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 865,
S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
a                                                     SB865 SD1