STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1817

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.R. No. 48

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor & Government Operations, to which was referred H.R. No. 48 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO DESIGN A SOCIAL INSURANCE FAMILY LEAVE PROGRAM FOR THE STATE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to convene a working group to design a social insurance family leave program for the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!; American Association of University Women of Hawaii; Imua Alliance; Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus; Hawai‘i State Teachers Association; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice; Democratic Party of Hawaii Labor Caucus; Hawai‘i State Democratic Women's Caucus; International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada, AFL-CIO, CLC, Local 665; and nine individuals.

Your Committee finds that enacting a comprehensive family leave program would allow employees whose family members are impacted by serious health conditions to provide adequate care for their loved ones without sacrificing their financial security. Your Committee believes that the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is the appropriate department to spearhead a working group to design a family leave program for the State, that the program should be a paid family leave program, and that the working group would benefit from broader representation.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the program from a social insurance family leave program to a paid family leave program;

(2) Broadening the working group to include:

(A) A representative from an organization that represents business groups;

(B) A member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(C) A member of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate; and

(D) Any other members the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations or the Director's designee deems necessary; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider adding an appropriation to an appropriate measure to support the working group.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 48, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 48, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Government Operations,

____________________________

SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair