STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3909

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 71

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 71, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONVENE A STAKEHOLDER WORKING GROUP TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ENHANCE MEANINGFUL ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE IN THE STATE THROUGH THE PROVISION OF LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Health to convene a Stakeholder Working Group to make recommendations to enhance meaningful access to health care in the State through the provision of language assistance services.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Office of Language Access, State Health Planning and Development Agency, Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Hawai‘i Friends of Civil Rights, AlohaCare, Hawai‘i Primary Care Association, Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!, Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action, Hawaii Medical Service Association, and three individuals.

Your Committee finds that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 mandates recipients of federal financial assistance to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to programs, services, and activities for limited English proficient persons. Your Committee further finds that while major hospitals across the State have made strides in addressing language barriers, much remains to be done to ensure comprehensive language access in health care settings to guarantee equitable and effective communication for all individuals, particularly those with limited English proficiency. This measure requests the convening of a Stakeholder Working Group to make recommendations to improve effective communication in health care and human services to prevent misdiagnosis, delayed medical treatment, and language access barriers to necessary services and programs.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language to request the Department of Health to invite at least one limited English proficient individual with experience accessing health services to participate in the Stakeholder Working Group;

(2) Inserting language to request the Stakeholder Working Group's study and assessment of language access in health care settings across the State and on each island in the State to include the benefits and impacts of technologies such as artificial intelligence; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 71, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 71, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair