STAND. COM. REP. NO.  301-26

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2026

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2489

      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. 2489 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to establish a bachelor's degree program in American Sign Language interpretation at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, as well as to develop a multi-year plan to include a master's degree program.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Disability and Communication Access Board; Hawaiʻi Civil Rights Commission; Hawaiʻi School for the Deaf and Blind; and numerous individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System.

 

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii faces a growing shortage of qualified American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, and is one of only eight states that does not have an ASL interpreter training program.  This measure will not only help address the significant shortage of ASL interpreters but it will also provide Hawaii residents with an academic and career pathway to become skilled ASL interpreters.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; 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 Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2489, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2489, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ANDREW TAKUYA GARRETT, Chair