Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 230, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of:

begs leave to report as follows:

Upon review of the testimony and written statements submitted by the nominees, your Committee finds that Dean T. Aoki, Harold R. DeCosta, Dean M. Georgiev, Stephen G. Laracuente, Charles W. Fleming, and Christina M. Pilkington have the necessary character, experience, and qualifications to serve on the Disability and Communication Access Board.

Your Committee received testimony from the Disability and Communication Access Board in support of the nominees.

Dean T. Aoki is an architect with the University of Hawaii who is extremely knowledgeable about design standards involving access for persons with disabilities, having been the Coordinator for the Architectural Access Committee for the State of Hawaii.

Harold R. DeCosta is a consumer representative who has been selected for reappointment to the Board and who serves on the Board's Legislative Committee.

Dean M. Georgiev is a consumer representative who has been selected for reappointment to the Board, and who serves on the Board's Chair. Mr. Georgiev works in the field of assistive technology for persons with disabilities.

Stephen G. Laracuente is a consumer representative who has been selected for reappointment to the Board, and who serves on the Board's Standing Committee on Communication Access and the Special Parent Information Network Advisory Committee. Mr. Laracuente is the Vice-Principal for the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind.

Charles W. Fleming is a consumer representative, recently retired to Hawaii. Mr. Fleming has served in the capacity of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator for the State of California and has been extremely active on disability rights issues throughout his career.

Christina M. Pilkington is a parent representative from Kauai, and has participated on the Board's Special Parent Information Network project. Ms. Pilkington is the ADA Coordinator for the County of Kauai.

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, after full consideration of the background, character, experience, and qualifications of the nominees, has found the nominees to be qualified for the positions to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nominations.