STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1145

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 135

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 135 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING A STUDY ON THE AVAILABILITY OF AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Legislative Reference Bureau to conduct a study to determine what barriers exist to securing more community interpreting hours.

     Two government agencies and a private individual provided testimony in support of this measure.  A legislative agency offered comments.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that deaf and hard of hearing persons need sign language interpreters to meet their special communication needs that impact all areas of their lives.  Their unique communication needs affect their language development, understanding of social situations, and their daily lives, including their budgeting, housing, and transportation needs.  Your Committee further finds that the needs of deaf and hard of hearing people for sign language interpreters are not being met.  The study requested by the measure will assist the State in determining whether there are barriers to ameliorating the shortage of interpreters, and identify possible solutions to address those barriers, if any.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Correcting references to the Kapiolani Community College Interpreter Education Program;

     (2)  Amending the measure to reflect the opportunities provided by video relay services; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 135, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 135, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair