STAND. COM. REP. NO. 632-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1515

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. 1515 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize an injured employee's attending physician to request and refer the employee for a functional capacity examination without first obtaining permission from the employer in order to assess the employee's ability to return to work.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Department of Human Resources Development; Hawaii Insurers Council; University of Hawaii Professional Academy; Hawaii Medical Association; American Property Casualty Insurance Association; Aloha Billing Company; Work Injury Medical Association of Hawaii; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that delays in approving functional capacity examinations prolong an injured worker's path to recovery and impede timely decisions about return‑to‑work or vocational rehabilitation. Existing processes often require insurer or employer approval before scheduling the examination, creating bottlenecks that contribute to administrative inefficiencies and added strain on injured workers. This measure streamlines the functional capacity examination process and broadens the pool of qualified providers, enabling quicker assessments and more efficient return-to-work decisions.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

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. 1515, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1515, 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