STAND. COM. REP. NO. 926

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 814

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 814, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTRONIC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY FOR PERSONS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Office of Enterprise Technology Services, in consultation with the Office of Language Access and a working group comprising stakeholders, to develop, publish, review, and update multilingual electronic information technology accessibility standards to be implemented by all state entities.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, and two individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services, Office of Language Access, and Disability and Communication Access Board.

Your Committee finds that developing statewide electronic information technology accessibility standards to assist persons having limited English proficiency will help residents navigate government programs and improve residents' engagement with public services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the amount of the appropriation from $100,000 to an unspecified sum to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments 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. 814, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 814, S.D. 2.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair