STAND. COM. REP. NO. 757

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 148

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 148, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to establish and operate a comprehensive center for the deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind.

     The Department of Human Services submitted written comments on this measure.

     Your Committee finds that the deaf community has been attempting to establish a service center for over forty years.  The appropriations in this measure will help to establish and operate a comprehensive service center and to assist persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind to fully participate in Hawaii's community.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount; and

(2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion on the measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 148, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 148, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair