CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 26-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2457

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2457, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IMMIGRANT RESOURCE CENTERS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' Office of Community Services to restore funding for Immigrant Resource Centers for the purpose of providing staff and resources to assist immigrant and refugee populations throughout the State; provided that the Office includes an outreach component in the services it provides.

Your Committee on Conference finds that despite being vital members of the community and workforce in Hawaii, many immigrants face barriers to success, including discrimination, cultural misunderstanding, and language access to government information and services. Your Committee on Conference also finds that from fiscal years 2014 through 2017, the Office of Community Services maintained Immigrant Resource Centers in all four counties to provide low-income immigrants with the needed support services; however, the centers are no longer operating due to the lack of funding. This measure will restore funds for the Immigrant Resource Centers to provide the immigrant and refugee populations the necessary support to transition into life in Hawaii and increase opportunities to make civic and economic contributions to the community.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an appropriation amount of $1,000,000;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2022; and

(3) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2457, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2457, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ RICHARD H.K. ONISHI Co-Chair	____________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA Chair
____________________________ JACKSON D. SAYAMA Co-Chair	____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI Co-Chair
	____________________________ MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO Co-Chair