STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2540

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2375

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 2375 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE FORMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require state agencies to create plain language forms with clear instructions to facilitate the submission of data.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Taxation and Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that neither guidelines for creating forms, nor the instructions for persons filling in forms are always clear despite the intent to use what is commonly referred to as "plain language".

Your Committee notes that certain complex amendments to forms may require hiring an expert, such as when translating forms into multiple languages. However, your Committee hopes that each agency has the internal ability to write in plain English, and therefore does not see the need to create additional positions for plain language consultants or coordinators, as suggested in one of the testimonies.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the proposed subsections to allow the sample listing of items that is set forth on the form to also be provided in the accompanying instructions for the form;

(2) Allowing for the instructions to be provided separate from the form, but available in the same manner as the form;

(3) Adding a definition of "form"; and

(4) Amending the effective date to permit sufficient time for the agencies to meet the requirements established by this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2375, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2375, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Operations,

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LAURA H. THIELEN, Chair