STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2487

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2569

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 Health and Human Services and Labor and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 2569 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKPLACE SAFETY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow a person who employs or contracts with a health care worker who suffers an act of violence to report the event to law enforcement and petition for a temporary restraining order and injunction under certain circumstances.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi State Center for Nursing, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, and two individuals.

Your Committees find that recent amendments to state law expanded protections for health care workers by increasing the penalties for assaulting a health care worker. However, some victims fear their personal information will be discoverable should the health care worker choose to personally press charges for the assault they experienced at their workplace. This measure will enable the employer to intervene to seek the proper protections and complement recent laws to positively impact the health care work environment.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Labor and Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2569, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2569, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services and Labor and Technology,

________________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Chair

________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair