STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3812

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1832

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1832, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HIRING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve efficiency in hiring government employees.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Authorizes a state department, division, or agency, rather than the Department of Human Resources Development, to conduct the minimum qualification review of applicants for vacant positions within the department, division, or agency; and

(2) Requires the Department of Human Resources Development under certain circumstances to provide state departments, divisions, and agencies the applications received for vacancies.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Law Enforcement and United Public Workers.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Health; Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation; and Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Your Committee finds that the State is currently facing an unprecedented number of job vacancies. Your Committee further finds that this measure will help to shorten the hiring process and allow departments, divisions, and agencies to expeditiously fill those job vacancies.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date from July 1, 2050, to upon approval; and

(2) Making a technical nonsubstantive amendment for purposes of clarity and consistency.

Your Committee respectfully requests that your Committee on Conference, should it convene to deliberate on this measure, consider the amendment suggested by the testimony of the Department of Health, which would establish a three-year pilot program within the Department to assess the feasibility of specific reforms to streamline and shorten the hiring process.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1832, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1832, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair