STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2152

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2511

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 Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2511 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 for and establish two full-time equivalent positions within the Department of Health's Office of Language Access to allow the Office of Language Access to fully perform its statutory duties.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Judiciary Legislative Coordinating Office; Department of Health Office of Language Access; State Health Planning and Development Agency; Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii; Hawaii TESOL; Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights; Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; Filipino American Citizens League; The Filipino Community Center, Inc.; Filipina Advocacy Network; Filipinos for Affirmative Action; Ho‘omanapono Political Action Committee; Tinalak Filipino Education Council; and seven individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Office of Language Access provides state agencies with technical assistance including needs assessment, help with language access plans, training, work with translators and interpreters, and data collection. Your Committee further finds that the Office of Language Access is underfunded and understaffed to the point of being unable to complete its statutory duties. Consequently, many state agencies have been unable to fully implement their language access plans, denying meaningful access to individuals limited in English proficiency. Your Committee further finds that approximately twelve percent of Hawaii residents speak English "less than very well". Your Committee finds that the funds appropriated and positions created by this measure will allow the Office of Language Access to provide a full level of support to state agencies, fulfill its statutory duties, and provide genuine access to state services to many of Hawaii's residents.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2511, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2511, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair