STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2877

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2715

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2715, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to make it unlawful for an employer to discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize or threaten any adverse employment action against an employee because the employee declines to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting that communicates the opinion of the employer about political matters, or declines to receive or listen to a communication from the employer that communicates the opinion of the employer about political matters.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142; Hawaii State AFL-CIO; International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, District Council 50; and thirty-nine individuals.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Maui Chamber of Commerce.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the NFIB's Hawaii Chapter and Society for Human Resource Management Hawaii.

Your Committees find that "captive audience meetings", where employee attendance is mandatory or de facto mandatory, are sometimes used by employers to spread political views that have little to no relevance to the employee's work duties or the workplace. Under existing law, there are few protections for employees who refuse to attend, which can result in employees being treated negatively or suffering from repercussions put in place by their employer. Your Committees find that participation in these meetings should be voluntary, and there should be no penalty imposed should an employee decide not to attend. Therefore, this measure protects workers from being penalized for refusing to attend such meetings.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2715, S.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair