STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3706

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2005

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2005, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase language access for the State's multilingual populations through a structured education and workforce development program.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes a Language Access Education and Workforce Development Program at the University of Hawaii to train eligible participants to be recognized as qualified translators and interpreters; and

(2) Appropriates moneys for the Language Access Education and Workforce Development Program, including for the establishment of an unspecified number of full-time equivalent positions.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, University of Hawaii, State Health Planning and Development Agency, The Legal Clinic, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Roots Reborn Maui, and four individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the National Association of Judiciary Translators and Interpreters.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's large multilingual population requires a trained and culturally competent workforce of translators and interpreters to ensure equitable access to education, health care, legal, and other services. Your Committee believes that the structured program established by this measure will help to address this need by developing qualified bilingual workers through training and paid internship opportunities.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2005, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair