STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3482
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: H.B. No. 2778
H.D. 2
S.D. 2
Honorable Robert Bunda
President of the Senate
Twenty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2006
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2778, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LANGUAGE ACCESS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to require the State and covered entities to provide assistance to limited English proficient persons who are eligible for certain state-provided or state-funded programs.
Specifically, the measure:
(1) Requires the State and covered entities that render services on behalf of the State to ensure meaningful access to services by providing oral and written language services to limited English proficient persons;
(2) Establishes a Language Access Director position and provides duties and responsibilities;
(3) Establishes a Language Access Advisory Council to advise the Language Access Director; and
(4) Appropriates general revenues to staff and maintain positions for the office of the Language Access Director and Language Access Advisory Council.
Federal law requires that state agencies that administer federally sponsored programs must provide certain forms and documents or oral services to persons with limited English proficiency. This measure requires similar assistance to ensure access to state provided or state funded services by limited English proficient persons.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Clarifying that translations of vital documents are to be written translations;
(2) Changing the term "state entities" to "state agencies", which is more commonly used throughout the Hawaii Revised Statutes to refer to agencies of the State;
(3) Deleting the limitation of "community" input to clarify that the Language Access Advisory Council's input to the Language Access Director is not limited to "community" input and may include input from the professional and governmental members of the Advisory Council;
(4) Changing the amount of the appropriation to $1;
(5) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050 for the purpose of continuing discussion on this issue; and
(6) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for the purpose of clarity and style.
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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2778, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2778, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,
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____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair |
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