STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1786

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   S.C.R. No. 32

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 32, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS TO EXAMINE THE NEED FOR POSSIBLE REGULATION AND OVERSIGHT OF AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS AND AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER REFERRAL AGENCIES IN HAWAII,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request that the Department of Health's Office of Language Access and Disability and Communication Access Board convene a working group of agency, provider, and consumer stakeholders to examine issues related to whether and how American Sign Language interpreters and interpreter referral agencies should be regulated by the State.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Hand Ninjas (ASL Interpreting) and two individuals.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Disability and Communication Access Board, and Hawaii Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf submitted comments.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the Legislature requests that the Department of Health, Office of Language Access, and Disability and Communication Access Board jointly convene the working group;

     (2)  Amending its title to read "REQUESTING THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, OFFICE OF LANGUAGE ACCESS, AND DISABILITY AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS BOARD JOINTLY CONVENE A WORKING GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS TO EXAMINE THE NEED FOR POSSIBLE REGULATION AND OVERSIGHT OF AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS AND AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER REFERRAL AGENCIES IN HAWAII."; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 32, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to your Committee on Finance, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 32, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services,

____________________________ DEE MORIKAWA, Chair

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair