STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1559
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2023
RE: S.B. No. 1141
S.D. 2
H.D. 1
Honorable Scott K. Saiki
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2023
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Labor & Government Operations and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1141, S.D. 2, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to:
(1) Transfer workers' compensation for the Hawaii State Public Library System and its employees from the Department of Education to the Department of Human Resources Development;
(2) Establish a position within the Department of Human Resources Development for the management and administration of workers' compensation for the Hawaii State Public Library System and its employees; and
(3) Appropriate funds for the workers' compensation costs of the Hawaii State Public Library System and its employees.
Your Committees find that, pursuant to section 26-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the Department of Human Resources Development is responsible for the administration of the State's self-insured and centralized workers' compensation program for all employees of the Executive Branch and its agencies, the public charter schools, the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, and the Legislature. Your Committees further find that this measure would clarify Act 61, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, and designate the Department of Human Resources Development as the administrator of workers' compensation claims for the Hawaii State Public Library System while providing appropriate resources to carry out those responsibilities.
Your Committees acknowledge that, according to the Department of Human Resources Development, the Department has been managing the Hawaii State Public Library System's workers' compensation claims since 2012 through a memorandum of agreement and the use of a loaned position. With the added position and appropriate funding, the Department will be able to absorb the continued responsibility for managing the Hawaii Public Library System's workers' compensation claims without disruption.
Your Committees have amended this measure by:
(1) Changing the effective date to upon approval; and
(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
Your Committees respectfully request your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider the Hawaii State Public Library System's request that at least $50,000 remain in the System's budget to ensure that the System can continue to process workers' compensation claims for current employees through the state payroll system.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor & Government Operations and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1141, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1141, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Labor & Government Operations and Education,
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____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair |
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____________________________ SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair |
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