STAND. COM. REP. NO. 257

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 962

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 962 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHANGING REFERENCES IN THE HAWAII REVISED STATUTES FROM "MENTAL RETARDATION" TO "INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY","

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to change references in the Hawaii Revised Statutes by substituting "intellectual disabilities", or like term, wherever the term "mental retardation", or like term, appears.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Disability and Communication Access Board; Special Education Advisory Council; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; Goodwill Industries of Hawaii, Inc.; Easter Seals Hawai‘i; People Attentive to Children; and fifty-six individuals.

     Your Committee finds that individuals with intellectual disabilities are people first, and they have the right to be included and respected in society.  Changing references from "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability" within the Hawaii Revised Statutes appropriately reflects current and evolving terminology.

     Your Committee also finds that the term "intellectual disability" is recognized by the federal government and implemented through statute and federal regulations.  Hawaii will join the country and professional organizations that have changed their language from "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability", and in doing so, respect people first.

     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 S.B. No. 962 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair