STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1138-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 3290

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health & Homelessness and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 3290, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Disability and Communication Access Board to convene a working group to study the state of American Sign Language in Hawaii.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services; Disability and Communication Access Board; Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; and three individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from one individual.

Your Committees find that American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters provide a vital service to the State's deaf and hard of hearing residents. Your Committees further find that despite an increase in demand for ASL interpretation services, there has been an increased difficulty in recruiting individuals who can serve as ASL interpreters across the State. This measure will ensure the State's deaf and hard of hearing residents continue to receive ASL interpretation services during emergencies and daily life activities by establishing a means for the State to acquire actionable information on the current state of the ASL interpreter workforce in Hawaii.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the working group is to study the state of American Sign Language interpretation services in the State;

(2) Removing as unnecessary a reference to the State Ethics Code, as the State Ethics Commission's longstanding practice is to exclude the activities of task force members from the general provisions of the Code;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health & Homelessness and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3290, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3290, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health & Homelessness and Human Services,

____________________________ LISA MARTEN, Chair

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair