HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2026
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Rep. Jackson D. Sayama, Chair |
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Rep. Mike Lee, Vice Chair |
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Rep. Andrew Takuya Garrett |
Rep. Sam Satoru Kong |
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Rep. Jeanne Kapela |
Rep. Julie Reyes Oda |
NOTICE OF HEARING
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DATE: |
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 |
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TIME: |
9:30 AM |
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PLACE: |
VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE Conference Room 309 State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
Click here to submit testimony and to testify remotely or in person.
A live stream link of all House Standing Committee meetings will be available online
shortly before the scheduled start time.
Click here for the live stream of this meeting via YouTube.
A G E N D A
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYMENT SECURITY LAW. Amends the qualifications for unemployed individuals who are able to receive unemployment benefits. Beginning 4/1/2027, removes the two-year limitation on the recoupment of overpayments. Beginning 4/1/2027, requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to assess and collect a service charge for dishonored unemployment insurance assessments. Beginning 4/1/2027, specifies that employers must report separation and wage information within five calendar days of notice being sent, whether by mail or electronic notification. Beginning 4/1/2027, increases the penalty for failure to report separations or wages and for failure to file or for filing insufficient, quarterly wage reports.
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LAB, CPC |
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH LAW. Repeals the Hoisting Machine Operators Advisory Board and its rules requiring a separate state crane operator certificate and allows additional time for the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations to complete an investigation of a discharge or discrimination complaint pertaining to employees exercising rights under the Occupational Safety and Health Law without formal extension.
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LAB, CPC |
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MAKING EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT COST ITEMS. Makes emergency appropriations for collective bargaining cost items for the members of Bargaining Units (1) and (10) and their excluded counterparts to resolve issues related to temporary hazard pay for fiscal year 2025-2026.
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LAB, FIN |
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MAKING EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT COST ITEMS. Makes emergency appropriations for collective bargaining cost items for the members of Bargaining Unit (11) and their excluded counterparts, including the cost of salary adjustments negotiated between the State and the bargaining unit representative for fiscal biennium 2025-2027.
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LAB, FIN |
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MAKING EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT COST ITEMS. Makes emergency appropriations for collective bargaining cost items for the members of Bargaining Unit (14) and their excluded counterparts, including the cost of salary adjustments negotiated between the State and the bargaining unit representative for fiscal biennium 2025-2027.
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO CAFETERIA PLANS. Specifies that the maximum contribution and carryover amounts for a public service flexible spending account plan shall be set in accordance with the annual limits prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service for cafeteria plans.
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. Repeals the prohibition placed on certain employees exempt from Civil Service Law from grieving a suspension or discharge. Allows any employee who is a member of an appropriate bargaining unit to grieve any disciplinary action.
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LAB, JHA |
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RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT. Allows public employers and exclusive representatives of bargaining units to negotiate certain retirement benefits.
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. Amends the collective bargaining negotiation procedure on the repricing of classes within a bargaining unit for public employees. Establishes an impasse procedure to be applied when an employer fails to initiate the negotiation or the parties fail to reach an agreement within certain timeframes. Repeals existing law that requires a different impasse procedure to apply in those situations. Sunsets 6/30/2029.
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND. Allows impasses and disputes relating to the amounts of State and county contributions to the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund to be resolved by arbitration. Repeals the prohibition against strikes by members of bargaining units on the issue of the amounts of State and county contributions to the Trust Fund.
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO INDEBTEDNESS TO THE STATE. Amends the amount that a disbursing officer may deduct from an employee's salary, wage, or compensation based on the employee's gross income.
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. Requires the Attorney General to establish a confidential process for persons to anonymously file complaints against public employees. Requires the Attorney General to review and forward the complaints to the department, board, commission, or agency deemed appropriate by the Attorney General. Requires the departments, boards, commissions, and agencies to process the complaint pursuant to their standard complaint‑processing procedures and report the disposition to the Attorney General. Requires the Attorney General to adopt rules and submit annual reports to the Legislature.
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LAB, JHA |
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RELATING TO REIMBURSEMENT OF PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES. Requires the State or a county to reimburse an officer or employee for work-related travel costs that the officer or employee loaned to the State or a county within thirty calendar days of submitting an approved Statement of Completed Travel. Requires the State or a county to pay interest on a loan not reimbursed within thirty days until the loan is fully reimbursed. Obligates an officer or employee to request a complete refund from the travel vendor for travel not taken. Entitles an officer or employee to reimbursement from the State or a county when a travel vendor offers no or a partial refund.
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO WAREHOUSE WORKERS. Establishes the Warehouse Worker Protection Act. Requires certain warehouse employers to provide written descriptions of quotas to employees and maintain records of quotas and employee work speed data. Protects employees from quotas that would prevent compliance with meal or rest periods or the use of bathroom facilities. Allows employees to request a written description of their quota and employee work speed data. Requires the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations to adopt rules to implement the provisions of the Act.
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LAB, JHA |
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RELATING TO LABOR. Clarifies the employment status of certain delivery drivers under state laws related to workers' compensation, wage and hour, temporary disability insurance, family leave, tax classification of business relationships, and unemployment insurance by establishing conditions under which delivery drivers are deemed employees of the business operating the delivery program.
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LAB, JHA |
DECISION MAKING TO FOLLOW
Persons wishing to offer comments should submit testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. Testimony received after this time will be stamped late and left to the discretion of the chair to consider. While every effort will be made to incorporate all testimony received, materials received on the day of the hearing or improperly identified or directed, may not be processed.
Testimony submitted will be placed on the legislative website. This public posting of testimony on the website should be considered when including personal information in your testimony.
The chair may institute a per-testifier time limit.
Committees meeting in the morning must adjourn prior to the day's Floor Session. Therefore, due to time constraints, not all testifiers may be provided an opportunity to offer verbal comments. However, written submissions will be considered by the committee.
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FOR AMENDED NOTICES: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are bolded.
For more information, please contact the Committee Clerk at (808) 586-6900.
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________________________________________ Rep. Jackson D. Sayama Chair |