STAND. COM. REP. NO. 345

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 439

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 439 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IMMIGRANT SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for an Immigrant Services and Access Unit within the Office of Community Services.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Community Services, Pacific Gateway Center, Hawai‘i Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Filipinos for Affirmative Action, Hawai‘i Friends of Civil Rights, Hawai‘i Workers Center, and seven individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Language Access.

Your Committee finds that immigrants comprise eighteen percent of the State's population and make up a significant portion of the State's agricultural, tourism, and hospitality workforces. Your Committee further finds that new immigrants face significant barriers to success, including discrimination, cultural misunderstandings, and language barriers. The establishment of an Immigrant Services and Access Unit will enable the State to provide support programs for Hawaii's immigrants, refugees, and others, and ensure they have equal access to available government programs.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Authorizing, rather than requiring, the Immigrant Services and Access Unit to provide certain services and programs;

(2) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, 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 Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 439, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 439, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair