STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3099

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2107

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2107, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATED TO DISASTER SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to establish Limited English Proficiency Language Access Coordinator positions within the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency, Office of Language Access, Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Hawaiʻi Friends of Civil Rights, Pacific Gateway Center, Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights, FilCom CARES, Legal Clinic, Lāhainā Strong, Kaibigan ng Lāhaina, Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action, and nine individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and Disability and Communication Access Board.

Your Committee finds that one out of nine people living in Hawaii is limited English proficient. These individuals often encounter disproportionate risks before, during, and after disasters. These risks include an inability to understand evacuation orders and procedures and information from emergency relief providers. This measure will allow for Limited English Proficiency Language Access Coordinators to be deployed in communities by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency in the event of an emergency.

Your Committee notes that the Limited English Proficiency Language Access positions should be made permanent and respectfully requests further examination by subsequent Committees to which this measure is referred.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2042, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2107, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2107, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

________________________________

GLENN WAKAI, Chair