STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1341

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 1496

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. 1496, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CIVIL RIGHTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make it an unlawful discriminatory practice for a place of public accommodation to deny a person with a disability full and equal enjoyment of, or information related to, their goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations using information and community technology intended for use by the general public.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities; State Health Planning and Development Agency; Disability and Communication Access Board; Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; Hawaii Self-Advocacy Advisory Council; National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii; and seven individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that the digital era has transformed how businesses and service providers interact with customers, with websites and mobile applications now serving as primary platforms for reservations, orders, sales, and access to essential information. Your Committee further finds that equitable access to these digital platforms is critical to ensuring that all individuals, including those with disabilities, can fully benefit from the goods, services, and amenities offered by places of public accommodation. While state and federal laws prohibit discrimination in public accommodations based on disability, clearer guidelines are needed to support businesses in implementing accessible electronic services. This measure seeks to address these challenges by explicitly prohibiting places of public accommodation from restricting access to goods, services, and information through digital platforms, ensuring that persons with disabilities receive full and equal access in the modern information landscape.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; 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. 1496, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1496, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair