STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1679-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.C.R. No. 108

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 Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 108 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE STATE TO ADDRESS THE LACK OF LANGUAGE SUPPORT IN SERVICES, PROGRAMS, AND ACTIVITIES OFFERED BY STATE GOVERNMENT FOR PERSONS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the State to:

(1) Address the lack of language support in services, programs, and activities offered by State government for persons with limited English proficiency; and

(2) Make it a priority to:

(A) Remove obstacles to promoting the hiring of bilingual and multilingual persons in the State's workforce;

(B) Promote and support the use and study of languages other than English;

(C) Expand the functional and active use of languages commonly spoken in the State by persons in the workforce;

(D) Recognize language skills as critical workforce skills;

(E) Promote an environment of Aloha where the use of languages other than English in any public setting is welcomed, valued, and recognized; and

(F) Promote workforce training, public service campaigns, and educational programs that address language bias and discrimination.

Volunteer Legal Services Hawai‘i, Filipina Advocacy Network, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights, Hawaii Interpreter Action Network, and an individual supported this measure. The Judiciary and Office of Language Access supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Stating that the State commends and supports the University of Hawai‘i's Hawai‘i Language Road Map and language courses; Department of Education's program for English Language Learners, and Seal of Biliteracy and Multilingualism for Equitable Education policies; Office of Language Access; Disability and Communication Access Board; Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission; and other government and private organizations that promote linguistic diversity as a cultural, civic, and economic asset; and

(2) Requesting that certified copies of this measure also be transmitted to the President of the University of Hawaii and the Superintendent of Education.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 108, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 108, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair