STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2882

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2883

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2883, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICAL FACILITIES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to convene, and appropriate moneys for, a task force to assist non-English speaking populations to receive care at health care facilities, by improving the hiring and training of interpreters and creating educational materials on preventative care and early intervention.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii County Council; Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights; Hawaii Public Health Institute; HI Coalition for Immigrant Rights; Kau Rural Health Community Association, Inc.; and one individual.

 

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and Office of Language Access.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure will help to bridge cultural and language gaps between health care providers and non-English speakers and ensure that all residents are able to access quality health care services.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

 

     (2)  Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2883, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2883, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair