STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1647

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 571, 572, 685

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 571, 572, and 685, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

Language Access Advisory Council

G.M. No. 571	LITO ASUNCION, for a term to expire 6-30-2016;
G.M. No. 572	PATRICIA HARPSTRITE, for a term to expire 6-30-2017; and
G.M. No. 685	MINDY EMMONS, for a term to expire 6-30-2017,

begs leave to report as follows:

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Lito Asuncion, Patricia Harpstrite, and Mindy Emmons to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to serve on the Language Access Advisory Council.

LITO ASUNCION

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Lito Asuncion from the Office of Language Access, National Federation of Filipino American Associations, Big Island Filipino Community Council, Hawaii Laborers' Union, United Filipino Council of Hawaii, Filipino American Citizens League, and four individuals.

     Mr. Asuncion earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  As an undergraduate, he was one of the first bilingual tutors with the University's Operation Manong program.  He subsequently received his Master of Arts in Sociology and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  He currently serves as a Program Specialist for the County of Kauai's Agency on Elderly Affairs where his primary responsibilities include grants management, procurement, program monitoring and evaluation, collection and analysis of service and program data, and compilation and production of reports to comply with local, state, and federal requirements.  Prior to his current position, he served as a Program Planner for the County of Hawaii's Office of Aging where his major responsibilities included the development, planning, management, and evaluation of programs and services for the elderly residents of Hawaii County.

     Mr. Asuncion is an active and committed participant in the community, especially in the health care and Filipino communities.  He serves as a member of the American Society of Aging, Alliance of Information and Referral Systems, and Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society, and previously served as a board member of the Hawaii Island Rural Health Association and Hospice of Hilo.  He also serves as an Advisor and Co-Founder of Sariling Gawa Youth Council, Inc.; member of the University of Hawaii at Hilo Pamantasan Committee; charter member of the Hawaii Island Filipino Chamber of Commerce; past President of the Big Island Filipino Community Council; and member of the National Federation of Filipino Associations.  He is fluent in English, Ilokano, and Tagalog and has served as an interpreter for court proceedings, casework, and community meetings and has assisted in translating various community service announcements, fliers, and booklets.

     Mr. Asuncion previously served on the Language Access Advisory Council from 2007 to 2012.  Testimony indicates that as a member, he was supportive of the programs and activities of the Office of Language Access and worked to promote language access to the Big Island.  Testimony in support of the nominee also indicates that as an immigrant educated in Hawaii and a professional working at a government agency, he understands the need to provide appropriate language assistance and support and resources to service providers.  He is a responsible individual who will make a positive contribution to the Language Access Advisory Council.

PATRICIA HARPSTRITE

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Patricia Harpstrite from the Office of Language Access and three individuals.

     Ms. Harpstrite earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and received her Master in Arts degree in Spanish from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  She is a Federally Certified Court Interpreter, Hawaii Judiciary Master Certified Interpreter, and Lionbridge Qualified Interpreter for Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) immigration hearings who currently provides legal interpretation for U.S. District Court of Hawaii, Hawaii State Judiciary, and EOIR immigration hearings as well as administrative hearings and private depositions.  As a legal interpreter, she provides legal translations for documents for federal and state criminal and civil cases, court forms, legal glossaries and other documents for the Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center, and private translations of civil, medical, business, academic documents, and poetry.  She is a retired Professor of Spanish of Leeward Community College where she taught Beginning and Intermediate Spanish, Business Spanish, Latin American Civilization, Spanish for Native Speakers and Bilinguals, and Beginning French.

     Ms. Harpstrite is an active interpreter for local and national professional organizations.  She serves as the President of the Hawaii Interpreter Action Network and previously served as the Secretary, Vice-President, and President of the Hawaii Interpreters and Translators Association.  She is an associate member of the American Translators Association, member of the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators, and member of the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators Advocacy Committee.  Finally, she has co-authored several articles for national interpreter professional publications, including the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators' Proteus and the American Translators Association's Interpreter's Voice.

     Testimony in support of the nominee indicates that Ms. Harpstrite has over fifteen years of experience interpreting and translating in Hawaii.  In 1998, she became the first Hawaii resident to pass the Federal Court Interpreter Certification Examination.  She subsequently earned her credential of Hawaii Judiciary Master Certified Court Interpreter.  With a background as a Professor of Spanish, she has provided interpreter training for the Hawaii Judiciary's Basic Orientation Workshops and has been a presenter at numerous Hawaii Interpreter Action Network workshops as well as the Office of Language Access's 2012 Annual Conference.  Thus, her experience and accomplishments will make her an excellent addition to the Language Access Advisory Council.

MINDY EMMONS

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Mindy Emmons from the Office of Language Access and eight individuals.

     Ms. Emmons earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Linguistics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her Master of Arts in Linguistics from California State University, Northridge.  She also received her Certificate in Translation and Interpretation from the University of California, Santa Barbara.  She is a Federally Certified Court Interpreter and serves as a Spanish interpreter for state, federal, and immigration courts.  She also is a freelance translator of legal documents and an instructor for court interpreter orientation programs that are sponsored by the Hawaii Judiciary.  She previously served as a full-time court interpreter in the County of Los Angeles.

     Ms. Emmons is an active interpreter for local and national professional organizations, including serving as a member of the Hawaii Supreme Court Committee on Court Interpreters and Language Access.  She currently serves as the President for the Hawaii Interpreter Action Network.  She previously served as a Rater for the Federal Court Interpreter Certification Examination program.

     Testimony in support of the nominee indicates that Ms. Emmons is an excellent interpreter and translator with high ethical standards.  She is one of a select group of linguists in the nation who has been certified by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts as an interpreter for the federal judicial system and as a translator by the American Translator Association.  Her credentials demonstrate her mastery in written and oral language conversation skills and she possesses the ability to apply her language skills to the civil and criminal areas.  Finally she has a strong understanding of language access issues and its challenges.

     Given the background, skills, and experience of the nominees, your Committee finds that all of the nominees are eminently qualified to serve on the Language Access Advisory Council.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominees, has found the nominees to be qualified for the positions to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nominations.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair