STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3734

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2343

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2343, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENFORCEMENT OF ORDERS OF WAGE PAYMENT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations to file certified copies of final orders of wage payment violations in any court of competent jurisdiction to expedite enforcement and serve the public policy of ensuring that employees are paid in accordance with their employers' legal obligations.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, and Hawaii Operating Engineers Industry Stabilization Fund Political Action Committee.

 

     Your Committee finds that the current method of enforcing and collecting on final orders of wage payment violations exclusively in circuit court is inefficient and results in delayed payments to employees who are entitled to reimbursement from employers who violated wage payment laws.  Your Committee further finds that expanding section 388-9.7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to allow enforcement proceedings to be brought in district court will improve the efficiency of the enforcement process.  This measure will therefore expedite the enforcement of wage payment violations by allowing proceedings to be brought in district courts due to their more expedient processes and procedures.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2343, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

 

 

 

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair