STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1342

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 1419

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 1419, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ACT 253, SESSION LAWS OF HAWAII 2023,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Update the name of the Neighbor Islands Blind and Visually Impaired Service Pilot Program by replacing the term "visually impaired" with the term "low vision"; and

(2) Clarify the Pilot Program's implementation timeframes.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services; Disability and Communication Access Board; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that individuals who are blind or have low vision, particularly those residing on the neighbor islands, continue to face challenges in accessing necessary services. To address these disparities, Act 253, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023, established the Neighbor Islands Blind and Visually Impaired Service Pilot Program within the Department of Human Services. This measure updates the Pilot Program's name to incorporate the more inclusive term "low vision" and clarifies the timeline for the Pilot Program's implementation. By advancing these changes, this Act strengthens the State's commitment to expanding services that promote independence and improve the quality of life for blind and low vision individuals in Hawaii.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing references to "visually impaired" with the term "low vision" in the preamble of Act 253, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023; and

(2) 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 Human Services & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1419, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1419, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services & Homelessness,

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair