STAND. COM. REP. NO. 276-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2438

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 Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2438 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to preserve and proliferate the Hawaiian language by:

(1) Making knowledge of the Hawaiian language a desirable qualification for all state positions;

(2) Requiring that all state public information officers have basic skills in Hawaiian language; and

(3) Requiring and providing funding to the University of Hawaii to establish a program that translates public documents into the Hawaiian language.

Ho‘omanapono Political Action Committee, Hawaiian Affairs Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and a few concerned individuals supported this measure. The Department of Human Resources Development, University of Hawaii, County of Hawaii Mayor, and Center for Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding a new section to require that the Hawaii state courts provide interpretation services, including in the Hawaiian language, to any person involved in a court proceeding regardless of the person's proficiency in English or ability to hear; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2438, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2438, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Labor & Public Employment.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

KANIELA ING, Chair