STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1845

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 388

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 388, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to facilitate the provision of instructional materials to students.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Adopts the United States Secretary of Education's National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard; and

(2) Requires the Department of Education to follow certain procedures to ensure that eligible students having disabilities obtain instructional materials in an appropriate and accessible format.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Disability and Communication Access Board, Hawaii State Committee of Blind Vendors, National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii, National Organization of Parents of Blind Children Hawaii Representative, and numerous individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that adopting the United States Secretary of Education's National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard is necessary to ensure equal access to education.

Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying the types of materials that the individualized education program for an eligible student is required to identify.

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 H.B. No. 388, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 388, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair