STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1072-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2488

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 Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2488, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DISABILITY AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS BOARD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Disability and Communication Access Board to:

(1) Study the health care communication needs of patients who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or deaf-blind; and

(2) Submit a report to the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Health Planning and Development Agency; Hawaiʻi Civil Rights Commission; Disability and Communication Access Board; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; and two individuals.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2488, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2488, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

CHRIS TODD, Chair