STAND. COM. REP. NO.  222-10

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

RE:   H.B. No. 2468

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2468 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve the provision of vocational rehabilitation services offered to people who are blind, deaf, hard-of-hearing, or deaf-blind by:

(1)  Establishing a Vocational Rehabilitation Division (VRD) within the Department of Human Services (DHS);

(2)  Placing services for blind and deaf persons under the VRD; and

(3)  Requiring DHS to develop a strategic plan to restructure services to the deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind through a comprehensive service center.

     The Disability and Communication Access Board supported this bill with amendments.  DHS opposed this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Deleting provisions requiring DHS to develop a strategic plan to provide services to the deaf, hard-of-hearing, or deaf-blind through a comprehensive service center;

(2)  Clarifying that the VRD will supervise and administer vocational-rehabilitation services, including services for persons who are blind or deaf that are not included under Chapter 348, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to vocational rehabilitation;

(3)  Requiring that DHS prepare a report to be submitted to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2011 that presents the current results of the planning committee working under the DHS's Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Advisory Board to develop plans for a comprehensive deaf center;

(4)  Changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, 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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2468, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2468, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair