CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 180-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2787

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2787, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IMMIGRATION,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The Purpose of this measure is to establish the Immigration Services and Access Unit within the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' Office of Community Services and appropriate funds for the unit, including funding for new positions.

Your Committee on Conference finds that Hawaii is one of the most culturally diverse states with one of the highest proportions of non-English speakers in the nation, many of them being immigrants and migrants with limited English proficiency. Your Committee on Conference further finds that English proficiency, or the lack thereof, has a great impact on people's economic and social activities, and health literacy and wellness. Therefore, this measure will allow the Office of Language Access to further improve language access within state government, provide a critical link for communication, and make State services accessible to individuals with limited English proficiency.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an appropriation amount of $450,000 to fund the Immigrant Services and Access Unit within the Office of Community Services, to be expended as follows:

(A) $80,000 to establish one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Unit Supervisor Position;

(B) $48,000 to establish one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Fiscal Clerk position;

(C) $12,000 as operation funds, including funds for on-site monitoring, legal review costs, printing costs, and travel expenses to attend conference training;

(D) $300,000 to expand the Immigration Resource Centers to provide more direct client assistance for naturalization fees and replacement of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Records, and to specifically provide further assistance to immigrants affected by the August 2023 Maui wildfires; and

(E) $10,000 for furniture and equipment for the newly established positions;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2024; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2787, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2787, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI Co-Chair	____________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO Chair
____________________________ RACHELE LAMOSAO Co-Chair	____________________________ DRU KANUHA Co-Chair