SSCR2133

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2133

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: GOV. MSG. NOS. 525, 526, 527

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 525, 526, and 527, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of:

Language Access Advisory Council

G.M. No. 525

LYDIA PAVON,

for a term to expire 06-30-2020;

G.M. No. 526

SHIRLEY SCHUMACHER,

for a term to expire 06-30-2020; and

G.M. No. 527

JADE WONG,

for a term to expire 06-30-2021,

begs leave to report as follows:

Your Committee reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by Lydia Pavon, Shirley Schumacher, and Jade Wong for service on the Language Access Advisory Council.

LYDIA PAVON

Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Lydia Pavon from the Office of Language Access.

Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Ms. Pavon's background, knowledge, and experience qualify her to be nominated for appointment to the Language Access Advisory Council representing an advocacy organization that provides services to limited English proficient persons. Your Committee notes that Ms. Pavon has been employed at the Domestic Violence Action Center in various roles since 2014, including as a Family Assistance Counselor, Legal Advocate, Program Manager, and currently, as an Advocacy Manager. Through her work at the Domestic Violence Action Center, Ms. Pavon has worked with and advocated for immigrants from all over the world, which has given her firsthand knowledge about the challenges faced by the State's diverse limited English proficient persons. Your Committee also notes that Ms. Pavon is certified by the Hawaii State Judiciary as a court interpreter for Ilokano and Tagalog. Your Committee further finds that Ms. Pavon has served as an interim member of the Language Access Advisory Council since July 2018 and has a thorough understanding of the role and responsibilities of council members. Your Committee therefore recommends that Ms. Pavon be appointed to the Language Access Advisory Council based on her knowledge, experience, and advocacy work with limited English proficient persons.

SHIRLEY SCHUMACHER

Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Shirley Schumacher from the Office of Language Access and three individuals.

Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Ms. Schumacher's background and experience qualify her to be nominated for appointment to the Language Access Advisory Council as a representative from Maui County. Your Committee notes that Ms. Schumacher has nearly thirty years of experience in the medical intake field and as a medical interpreter. Ms. Schumacher is currently employed in the Admitting Department of Maui Memorial Medical Center, where she works extensively with patients that have limited English proficiency and consistently advocates for patients and family members needing interpreting and translation. Your Committee notes that Ms. Schumacher is multilingual and speaks Spanish, Tagalog, and Visayan. Your Committee further finds that Ms. Schumacher has served as an interim member of the Language Access Advisory Council since June 2018, has a thorough understanding of the role and responsibilities of council members, and her unique perspective as a resident of a neighbor island will be a valuable asset to the Council. Therefore, your Committee recommends that Ms. Schumacher be appointed to the Language Access Advisory Council based on her knowledge and experience with limited English proficient persons in medical settings.

JADE WONG

Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Jade Wong from the Office of Language Access.

Your Committee finds that Ms. Wong's background and experience qualify her to be nominated for appointment to the Language Access Advisory Council as a representative from the City and County of Honolulu. Your Committee further finds that Ms. Wong is an attorney with a background in immigration law. Ms. Wong is currently a Compliance Officer with ‘ike where she manages compliance and department budgets for the ‘ike family of companies. Ms. Wong previously worked for the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission and holds a Hawaii State Judiciary Certificate Tier 1 in Spanish. Over the course of her career, Ms. Wong has interpreted for her clients in legal settings such as interviews, meetings, hearings, and immigration proceedings. Your Committee notes that Ms. Wong is an active member of the Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center Advisory Committee and served as president of La Alianza for three years. Your Committee further finds that Ms. Wong's experience with obstacles unique to the legal field presented by lack of language access will be a valuable asset to the Language Access Advisory Council. Your Committee therefore recommends that Ms. Wong be appointed to the Language Access Advisory Council based on her knowledge, experience, and dedication to immigrant advocacy.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that are attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominees, has found the nominees to be qualified for the positions to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nominations.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair