Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 113 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by the Departments of Health and Human Services.

Your Committees find that federal law requires entities that receive federal financial assistance to provide individuals with limited English proficiency with meaningful access to federally-assisted programs and services. "Meaningful access" means, at a minimum, timely access to trained and competent interpreters; translation of application forms, notices, and letters in a language understood by the individual with limited English proficiency; and notice of the right to free language assistance provided in a language understood by the recipient.

Your Committees find that many state programs receive federal financial assistance. Your Committees further find that providing meaningful language access is especially important in multicultural Hawaii, with its relatively high population of immigrants and individuals with limited English proficiency. Accordingly, it is important that each state agency ensure that its policies and practices regarding language access are both adequate and appropriately implemented, so as not to jeopardize federal funding. Your Committees further find that, in order to ensure language access is provided for individuals with limited English proficiency, the State should dedicate resources for language access in the executive budget.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 113 and recommend its adoption.