STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1194

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.C.R. No. 3

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 3 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF 21ST CENTURY DATA GOVERNANCE FOR FACT-BASED POLICYMAKING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to recognize the importance of 21st century data governance for fact-based policymaking.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, Hawai‘i Friends of Civil Rights, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, Medical-Legal Partnership, Hawai‘i Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Hawai‘i Public Health Institute, The Queen's Health System, and seven individuals.

Your Committee finds that the impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the State in various ways, such as the community's health, employment, and housing security. Efforts to better understand and address the significant impacts of the pandemic on Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have been stymied by insufficient and inconsistent demographic data collection, processing, retention, and sharing by and between critical government entities. This measure is an important step toward ensuring that policymaking for COVID-19 recovery efforts are based upon community-specific data that is timely, clear, and consistent.

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 3, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness,

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair