STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3472

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 76

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor and Technology, to which was referred S.R. No. 76 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR TO EVALUATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE DECENTRALIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT'S HIRING AND RECRUITMENT FUNCTIONS TO STATE DEPARTMENTS, DIVISIONS, AND AGENCIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Office of the Governor to evaluate and make recommendations on the decentralization of the Department of Human Resources Development's hiring and recruitment functions to state departments, divisions, and agencies.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO and one individual.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development.

Your Committee finds that the State is struggling to recruit and retain employees for civil service positions, resulting in high vacancy rates and current members being excessive workload for existing employees. Your Committee further finds that departments are best positioned to understand their specific workforce needs and are better equipped to identify where to find the right candidates. However, the existing centralized recruitment process administered by the Department of Human Resources Department lacks the adaptability and flexibility to meet the needs of line departments and current market demands, which contributes to the high vacancy rates will assist the Legislature in making an informed decision on whether decentralizing hiring and recruitment functions would improve recruitment process and reduce high vacancy rates.

Your Committee notes that state departments, divisions, and agencies may require additional training to effectively carry out their hiring and recruitment functions if those functions were to be decentralized. Therefore, amendments to this measure are necessary to address this issue.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language requesting the Governor to include in the evaluation and recommendations, the training of human resources officers of state departments, divisions, and agencies necessary to effectively carry out their hiring and recruitment functions;

(2) Including a request for the Department of Human Resources Development to provide hiring and recruitment training to departments, divisions, and agencies' human resource officers;

(3) Amending its title accordingly;

(4) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 76, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 76, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

BRANDON J.C. ELEFANTE, Chair