STAND. COM. REP. NO.  532-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2649

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2649 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to narrow the scope of prohibitions against employment discrimination based on status as a victim of domestic or sexual violence by:

     (1)  Requiring domestic or sexual violence victims to provide a copy of a temporary restraining order or protective order to their employers for the prohibition to apply;

     (2)  Requiring employers to post the temporary restraining order or protective order in the place of employment; and

     (3)  Narrowing reasonable accommodations required of employers to making all necessary personnel aware of the protections afforded to the victims by the temporary restraining order or protective order and immediately contacting the police if the person against whom the order is issued violates the order at the workplace.

The Maui Chamber of Commerce; Valley Isle Produce, Inc.; HDC Corp,; Atlantis Adventures Hawaii; Arakaki-Regan & Associates, LLC; and a few individuals provided testimony in support of this measure. The Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Women Helping Women, Domestic Violence Action Center, Hawai‘i Women's Coalition, and several individuals provided testimony in opposition to this measure.  The Department of Health and MSI Maui provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, for the purpose of facilitating further discussion; and

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

     Your Committee notes that this measure received considerable testimony in opposition.  Your Committee further notes that some proponents of this measure have raised questions relating to the implementation of this measure and the reasonable accommodations required to be made by employers.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2649, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2649, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair