STAND. COM. REP. NO. 20-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1660

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 1660 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COUNTY LABOR STANDARDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the counties to require contractors to disclose information regarding their employees' wages, benefits, hours, and employment status and to deny, revoke, or suspend a building permit application for violating laws relating to wages, benefits, hours, and employment status, under certain conditions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; International Union of Operating Engineers Local 3; Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters; and Pacific Resource Partnership.

Your Committee finds that theft, misclassification, and other violations of labor standards continue to create unfair competitive advantages within the construction industry and contribute to unsafe and unstable working conditions. These practices not only undermine law‑abiding contractors but also impede counties' ability to ensure that permitted construction projects are completed responsibly and sustainably. This measure addresses these issues by granting counties the authority to collect key labor‑related disclosures from contractors and to take permitting action against contractors found in violation of labor laws, thereby strengthening enforcement and promoting fair labor practices.

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 clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1660, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1660, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

JACKSON D. SAYAMA, Chair