STAND. COM. REP. NO. 122-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2005

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2005 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LANGUAGE ACCESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a statewide language access education and workforce development program at the University of Hawaii.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; State Health Planning and Development Agency; Office of Language Access; Tinalak Filipino Education Council; Waipahu Safe Haven Immigrant/Migrant Resource Center; Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights; The Legal Clinic; Kaibigan ng Lāhaina; AlohaCare; and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's large and linguistically diverse population requires reliable, culturally competent language services to ensure equitable access to essential services and public programs. This measure establishes a statewide program to develop a qualified language access workforce and strengthen service delivery across essential public systems.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the number of positions to an unspecified amount; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2005, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2005, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Labor.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

____________________________

ANDREW TAKUYA GARRETT, Chair