REPORT TITLE:
Hawaiian language


DESCRIPTION:
Mandates that all public restrooms have the appropriate Hawaiian
name.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        1941
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The Hawaiian language has made a significant and
 
 2 lasting comeback after being on the virtual edge of extinction
 
 3 twenty years ago.  Hawaiian is now being taught in the public
 
 4 school immersions system, and has its own department at the
 
 5 University of Hawai`i.  While Hawaiian has always been
 
 6 acknowledged as one of the official languages of the State,
 
 7 without use by the public that designation is a hollow one. This
 
 8 is one of the reasons that street names in Honolulu are required
 
 9 to be in Hawaiian, to encourage the daily usage and appreciation
 
10 for the language.
 
11      The purpose of this Act is to increase public exposure to
 
12 the Hawaiian language by requiring that all public restrooms, in
 
13 addition to any other appropriate designation, be designated as
 
14 "kane," for a men's restroom, "wahine," for a women's restroom,
 
15 and "`ohana" for a family restroom. 
 
16      SECTION 2.  Section 5-6.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
17 amended to read as follows:
 
18      "[[]§5-6.5[]]  State language.  The Hawaiian language is the
 
19 native language of Hawaii and may be used on all emblems and
 

 
Page 2                                                     1941
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 symbols representative of the State, its departments, agencies
 
 2 and political subdivisions.  Each state or county public restroom
 
 3 in the State, in addition to any other appropriate designation,
 
 4 shall bear the following labels:  "kane" for a men's restroom,
 
 5 "wahine" for a women's restroom, and "`ohana" for a family
 
 6 restroom."
 
 7      SECTION 3.  No restroom shall be required to bear the
 
 8 appropriate Hawaiian labels until ninety days after the effective
 
 9 date of this Act.
 
10      SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
11 New statutory material is underscored.
 
12      SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
13                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________