STAND. COM. REP. NO.278-02

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: H.B. No. 2220

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2220 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LANGUAGE ACCESS FOR PERSONS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to assist individuals with limited English proficiency by:

(1) Establishing the Hawaii Commission on Language Access (Commission) within the Department of the Attorney General to develop a statewide plan to enhance services for persons with limited English proficiency;

(2) Appropriating funds to the Commission for operating expenses; and

(3) Appropriating funds to the Department of Health and Department of Human Services to develop and implement systems for persons with limited English proficiency to access services.

The Hawaii Primary Care Association, Catholic Charities, Inter-Agency Council for Immigrant Services, and Na Loio Immigrant Rights and Public Interest Legal Center testified in support of this measure.

Your Committee finds that individuals with limited English proficiency often have difficulty in accessing programs and services offered by state departments. Hawaii, with a diversity of cultures, has a large number of residents with limited English proficiency. Your Committee believes that efforts should be made to assist these individuals in accessing programs and services.

Your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Removing the appropriation amounts to promote further discussion;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2002; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2220, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2220, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

MICHAEL P. KAHIKINA, Chair

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair