STAND. COM. REP. NO. 374

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 1192

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1192 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EQUAL PAY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Amend the list of protected classes under Hawaii's equal pay statute to make the protections afforded by the statute consistent with the state law that prohibits employment discrimination;

(2) Provide pay transparency by requiring employers to make salary range information available to employees and job candidates;

(3) Clarify the factors that can be used by employers to justify differences in compensation based on seniority, merit, or other non-discriminatory purposes; and

(4) Update the term "equal work" as used in state non-discrimination statutes to "substantially similar work".

The Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission, Hawai‘i State Commission on the Status of Women, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Women's Coalition, American Association of University Women (AAUW) of Hawaii, AAUW Windward, Midwives Alliance of Hawaii, Americans for Democratic Action, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, Aloha State Association of the Deaf, and several individuals testified in support of this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to January 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1192, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1192, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair