STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2576

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3290

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 S.B. No. 3290 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Disability and Communication Access Board and Department of Human Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to convene a working group to study the state of American Sign Language in Hawaii; and

(2) Require the Department of Health to assist the working group in the preparation of a report to submit to the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Disability and Communication Access Board, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, and three individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and Hawaiʻi Civil Rights Commission.

Your Committee finds that the State is experiencing a critical shortage of American Sign Language interpreters. Despite the importance of American Sign Language in everyday life and emergency situations, there are few interpreters available to support the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, some of whom have to wait three to four weeks to schedule medical procedures and other important appointments. Therefore, this measure will provide critical data to facilitate additional resources for American Sign Language interpretation services statewide.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing the Department of Human Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation as a co-convenor of the working group;

(2) Removing the representative from the Department of Human Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation as a co-chairperson of the working group;

(3) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments 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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3290, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3290, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair