STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1674

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 11

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 11 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REAFFIRMING THE USE OF THE TERM "DEAF-BLIND" BY THE STATE OF HAWAII AND THE COUNTIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to reaffirm the use of the term "deaf-blind" by the State and the counties.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, O‘ahu County Committee, Affirmative Action Committee, Aloha State Association of the Deaf, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that terminology and labeling of a particular community based on a common characteristic or interest can be quite specific and significant to the community's members. Your Committee also finds that many individuals in Hawaii and nationally have used the term "deaf-blind", written in lowercase with a hyphen between the words deaf and blind, to describe individuals who are deaf and blind, which is the same way the term is used in federal laws, Hawaii Administrative Rules, and Session Laws of Hawaii. Your Committee further finds that some individuals and organizations have sought to use the term "DeafBlind" with no hyphen between the words deaf and blind and the first letter of each word capitalized. This measure requires the State, counties, and all entities that contract with the State or a county to utilize the term "deaf-blind" with the term "deaf-blind" written in lowercase with a hyphen between the words deaf and blind.

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 11, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 11, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Operations,

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LAURA H. THIELEN, Chair