STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2774

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2459

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2459 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LANGUAGE ACCESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to ensure that individuals with limited proficiency in English have access to public services.

Specifically, the measure:

(1) Requires the Office of Language Access to submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature on compliance, complaints, resolution of complaints, and recommendations to enhance and promote language access; and

(2) Appropriates moneys to establish limited English proficiency language coordinator positions in the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, and Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Common Cause Hawaii, Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights, The Legal Clinic, Hawaii Public Health Institute, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Catholic Charities Hawaii, and eight individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance, Office of Language Access, and Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

Your Committee finds that many Hawaii residents have limited proficiency in English, which often impedes access to important public benefits and services. By requiring the Office of Language Access to submit annual reports and appropriating moneys for limited English proficiency language coordinator positions, this measure will help ensure compliance with state and federal language access laws.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(2) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2459, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2459, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair