STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1622

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.C.R. No. 18
                                        




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

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred
S.C.R. No. 18 entitled:

     "SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE INCORPORATION
     OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY CONSIDERATIONS IN ALL APPROPRIATE
     ADMINISTRATION MEASURES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this Concurrent Resolution is to request the
Governor and the Department of Business, Economic Development,
and Tourism to support the use of assistive technology.

     Specifically, the Governor is requested to incorporate
assistive technology considerations and language in all
administrative measures relating to persons with disabilities,
and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism
is requested to develop incentives to encourage out-of-state
vendors to increase supplies to Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that assistive technology devices allow
individuals with disabilities to pursue careers, live
independently, and be fully included in mainstream society.
There are approximately 193,000 individuals with disabilities in
the State, and it is in the State's best interest to help them
reduce unnecessary reliance on government aid.  Hawaii needs
policies that make these devices more widely available, and an
adequate supply of these devices to insure meaningful

 
a                                                     SCR18
 
 
                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1622
                                   Page 2


implementation of any state policy relating to assistive
technology devices.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 18,
and recommends its adoption.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
a                                                     SCR18