STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3668

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1943

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1943, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to create two permanent full-time equivalent positions within the Office of Language Access to assist in implementing the State's language access law.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the State Health Planning and Development Agency; Hawaii Civil Rights Commission; Hawaii State Judiciary; Filipina Advocacy Network; Filipino-American Historical Society of Hawaii; Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights; Hawaii Interpreter Action Network; Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; Tinalak Filipino Education Council; Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii; and three individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Office of Language Access.

Your Committee finds that authorizing and funding two full-time equivalent positions in the Office of Language Access to help implement the State's language access law will increase access to government services, programs, and activities for state residents.

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 H.B. No. 1943, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair