STAND. COM. REP. NO. 542

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 696

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Labor and Technology and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 696 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the wages of other employees in comparable employment to be considered when computing the average weekly wages of an injured public board member, reserve police officer, police chaplain, sheriffs' chaplain, volunteer firefighter, volunteer boating enforcement officer, or volunteer conservation and resources enforcement officer; and

(2) Clarify the computation of average weekly wages of an injured volunteer firefighter to determine their workers' compensation benefits.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and two individuals.

Your Committees find that currently, the wages of other employees are not considered when calculating workers compensation benefits for injured public board members, reserve police officers, police chaplains, sheriffs' chaplains, volunteer firefighters, volunteer boating enforcement officers, and volunteer conservation and resources enforcement officers. Your Committees also find that the work performed by these volunteers is both vital and potentially dangerous. This measure will afford those unpaid individuals with sufficient coverage under workers' compensation laws should they sustain injuries in the line of duty.

Your Committees have amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor and Technology and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 696, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 696, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Labor and Technology and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ SHARON MORIWAKI, Chair