STAND. COM. REP. NO. 786-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 1943

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1943, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LANGUAGE ACCESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Health to establish two full-time equivalent permanent program specialist positions within the Office of Language Access to assist state agencies and state-funded agencies in implementing the requirements of Hawaii's language access law.

The Judiciary, Office of Language Access Advisory Council, State Health Planning and Development Agency, Volunteer Legal Services Hawai‘i, Filipina Advocacy Network, Susannah Wesley Community Center, Nursing Advocates and Mentors, Inc., Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and two individuals testified in support of this measure. The Office of Language Access and Filipino American Citizens League provided comments.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1943, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair