STAND. COM. REP. NO. 349

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 870

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. 870 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 establish and fund a Neighbor Islands Blind and Visually Impaired Service Pilot Program and working group to supplement 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 Department of Human Services, Disability and Communication Access Board, National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii, and nine individuals.

Your Committee finds that state and local resources for the blind or visually impaired are provided through economies of scale. As a result, the majority of the State's resources for its blind and visually impaired residents are located on the island of Oahu, leaving the approximately two thousand neighbor island residents who are blind or visually impaired with limited resources to assist them with having full and integrated lives in their communities. This measure is intended to supplement the State's existing services by establishing a working group and pilot program to provide training and other services to blind and visually impaired residents on the neighbor islands.

Your Committee notes the concerns of the Department of Human Services regarding the lack of sufficient staff to implement the additional duties and responsibilities related to the pilot program.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the pilot program shall end on July 30, 2027;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 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. 870, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 870, 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