STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1001

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 1160
                                        H.D. 1
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor and Environment, to which was
referred H.B. No. 1160, H.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT SECURITY APPEALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow the Employment
Security Appeals Referee Office to hold hearings in counties
besides the county in which the appeal was filed.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the
Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.  The Department
also requested an amendment be made to the measure to clarify
that hearings by its rules may be conducted by telephone or other
suitable method.

     Your Committee finds that current law requires that
unemployment appeals hearings be held in the county in which the
appeal was filed.  This measure would facilitate the timely
disposition of unemployment appeals by allowing hearings to be
conducted by telephone and authorizing the department to take
depositions.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that a
fair hearing can be conducted either in person, by telephone, or
by other suitable communication device or technology.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1001
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     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Labor and Environment that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 1160, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B.
No. 1160, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on
Judiciary.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   BOB NAKATA, Chair

 
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