STAND. COM. REP. NO. 432

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 606

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 606 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE BLIND PERSONS' AND LITERACY RIGHTS AND EDUCATION ACT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to enact the Blind Persons' Literacy Rights and Education Act.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Disability and Communications Access Board, and four individuals.  Testimony in opposition was received from the Department of Education and one individual.

     This measure establishes standards for Braille proficiency and instruction.  Braille should be a fundamental part of a blind or visually impaired person's education that teaches independence through access to printed information.  Every blind or visually impaired child in public school should be taught to read in a format that is accessible to the individual child, whether it is in print or Braille, to foster independence.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the instructional materials provision, which is covered by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 and the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board;

     (2)  Deleting the certification provision, which would discourage the recruitment of Braille teachers; and

     (3)  Adding an appropriation for the training of Braille teachers, to increase their competency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Human Services and Public Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 606, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 606, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair