STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3272

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 656, 657

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 656 and 657, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

Language Access Advisory Council

G.M. No. 656	LINDA NULAND-AMES, for a term to expire 06-30-2017; and
G.M. No. 657	SUZANNE ZENG, for a term to expire 06-30-2019,

begs leave to report as follows:

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Linda Nuland-Ames and Suzanne Zeng to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the Language Access Advisory Council.

LINDA NULAND-AMES

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Linda Nuland-Ames from the Office of Language Access.

     Your Committee finds that Ms. Nuland-Ames is presently the Equal Employment Opportunity and Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator for the County of Kauai, a position she has held since 2012, and has previous work experience as a Project Director for the County of Kauai and as an attorney for the Hawaii Disability Rights Center and in private practice.  Your Committee further finds that Ms. Nuland-Ames' experience and expertise in civil rights issues, training county employees on language awareness and obtaining interpreter services, and community service on the Kauai Developmental Disabilities Committee and Mayor's Advisory Committee for Equal Access on Kauai, demonstrate her understanding of board operations and ability to advance the goals of the Office of Language Access.

SUZANNE ZENG

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Suzanne Zeng from the Office of Language Access and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that Ms. Zeng is presently an Instructor, Community Liaison, and Summer Intensive Interpreter Training Program Coordinator for the Center for Interpretation and Translation Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  Your Committee further finds that Ms. Zeng also serves as a member of the Hawaii Supreme Court Committee for Court Interpreting and Language Access Advisory Council and Hawaii Department of Human Services Language Advocacy and Advisory Council, where she has actively demonstrated her commitment to issues related to language access within and outside of the court system, including working to establish higher standards for state court interpreters.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health 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 Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair