STAND. COM. REP. NO. 108-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1889

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor & Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 1889 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to expand workers' compensation medical benefits for firefighters to include coverage for breast cancer and cancer of the female reproductive organs.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Disability and Communication Access Board; State Fire Council; Honolulu Fire Department; Maui Fire Department; International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 142; Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, Local 1463, IAFF, AFL-CIO; and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that firefighters may be exposed to contaminants that are known or suspected to cause cancer in the course of their duties. Additionally, female firefighters may be at increased risk of breast, cervical, and uterine cancers. Therefore, this measure improves female firefighters' access to comprehensive medical coverage by expanding workers' compensation medical benefits for firefighters to include coverage for breast cancer and cancer of the female reproductive organs.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1889, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1889, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair