STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1226-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2782

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Higher Education & Technology and Labor & Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 2782, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATED TO ELECTRONIC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Office of Enterprise Technology Services to develop multilingual accessibility standards, in consultation with the Office of Language Access, to provide technical guidance to state entities regarding public access to vital information and documents.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services; Office of Enterprise Technology Services; Office of Language Access; Hawaiʻi Friends of Civil Rights; Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!; Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights; The Legal Clinic; Roots Reborn; Waipahu Safe Haven Immigrant/Migrant Resource Center; and five individuals.

Your Committees find that this measure is a reasonable step to ensure that persons with limited English proficiency have meaningful access to state government services, programs, and activities.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committees note that the Office of Enterprise Technology Services is unable to perform the tasks proposed in this measure without additional financial support.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Higher Education & Technology and Labor & Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2782, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2782, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Higher Education & Technology and Labor & Government Operations,

____________________________ SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair

____________________________ AMY A. PERRUSO, Chair