STAND. COM. REP. NO. 155-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1945

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1945 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE NEIGHBOR ISLANDS BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED SERVICE PILOT PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Human Services to establish a Neighbor Islands Blind and Visually Impaired Services Pilot Program that supplements existing statewide services by providing training and other services to neighbor island residents who are blind or visually impaired.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Committee of Blind Vendors, National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii, and eight individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services, Department of Budget and Finance, and Executive Office on Aging.

Your Committee finds that state and local support services for blind or visually impaired individuals are provided through economies of scale, and thus tend to benefit residents in populated areas, like Oahu, as compared to those in sparsely populated areas. Your Committee further finds that because of the concentration of support services on Oahu, blind or visually impaired individuals who live on the neighbor islands may be forced to choose between relocating to Oahu or living without services that would allow them to have full and integrated lives in their existing communities. This measure addresses the disparity in availability of support services by requiring the Department of Human Services to establish a pilot program to provide supplemental services to neighbor island residents who are blind or visually impaired.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the preamble, other than for a narrowed purpose statement;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) 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 Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1945, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1945, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair