STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1192

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   S.B. No. 892

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 892, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SERVICE ANIMALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to update and conform State law to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act by amending certain laws regarding the use of service animals in statutes relating to dog licensing, public conveyances, and discriminatory practices in real estate transactions.

     The Disability and Communication Access Board, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, and a concerned individual supported this bill.  The City and County of Honolulu Department of Human Resources offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Deleting reference to psychiatric disability in the definition of "service dog";

     (2)  Deleting statutory provisions relating to the right to use life jackets and flotation devices for every physically handicapped person in a public swimming pool, and related paragraphs, since it is unrelated to public conveyances and service animals; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 892, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 892, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair