STAND. COM. REP. NO. 639-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2005

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 2005, H.D. 1, 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 Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; University of Hawaiʻi System; State Health Planning and Development Agency; Office of Language Access; Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women; The Legal Clinic; Waipahu Safe Haven Immigrant/Migrant Resource Center; AlohaCare; Pacific Gateway Center; Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights; Roots Reborn; and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's multilingual communities rely heavily on access to culturally competent translation and interpretation services to navigate education, healthcare, legal systems, and other essential government programs. Your Committee further finds that while the Department of Education's seal of biliteracy identifies students with strong language skills, there is currently no structured statewide pathway to prepare these individuals, or other bilingual community members, for professional roles in translation and interpretation. Your Committee believes that establishing a formal training and certification program will strengthen the State's language access workforce and expand equitable access to critical public services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Codifying the statewide language access education and workforce development program in statute; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2005, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2005, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor,

____________________________

JACKSON D. SAYAMA, Chair