STAND. COM. REP. NO. 452

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 1057
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 1057 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON
     REHABILITATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this administration measure is to conform
existing state law to the federal Rehabilitation Act Amendments
of 1998.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the
Department of Human Services, Commission on Persons with
Disabilities, and Workforce Development Council.

     This measure will change the name of the State Advisory
Council on Rehabilitation to State Rehabilitation Council;
increase the number of members on the council from nineteen to
twenty-one; and require one representative of the state
educational agency responsible for the public education of
students with disabilities, one representative of the state
workforce development council, and the administrator of the
vocational rehabilitation division of the department of human
services to the State Rehabilitation Council.

     This measure will additionally require the council to advise
the vocational rehabilitation division of the department on the
extent, scope, and effectiveness of services provided, and
performance of state agencies that affect or potentially affect

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 452
                                   Page 2


the ability of individuals with disabilities in achieving
employment outcomes; require the council to develop state goals
and priorities, advise the vocational rehabilitation division of
the department of human services regarding authorized activities,
and assist in the preparation of the state plan and amendments to
the plan, applications, reports, and evaluations.

     The council will additionally have to conduct a review and
analysis of the performance of the vocational rehabilitation
division of the department, vocational rehabilitation services
provided by state agencies, and employment outcomes achieved by
eligible individuals receiving services.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will conform state
law with the federal Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998, which
reflects the intent to increase the involvement of the State
Advisory Council on Rehabilitation in improving services and to
assure closer relationships with other government programs that
are required to provide services to persons with disabilities.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 1057 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and
be referred to the Committee on Labor and Environment.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health and Human
                                   Services,



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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