HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                 THE TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE
                  REGULAR SESSION OF 1999

         COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
              Rep. Terry Nui Yoshinaga, Chair
           Rep. Iris Ikeda Catalani, Vice Chair

  Rep. Kenny Goodenow           Rep. Tom Okamura
  Rep. Eric G. Hamakawa         Rep. K. Mark Takai
  Rep. Kenneth T. Hiraki        Rep. Mark Moses
  Rep. Bob Nakasone             Rep. Jim Rath

                     NOTICE OF HEARING

        DATE:    Thursday, February 11,1999

        TIME:    8:30 A.M.

        PLACE:   Conference Room 309, State Capitol


                       A G E N D A 

HB 1160    RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT SECURITY APPEALS        LAB,JHA
        To allow employment security appeals hearings to be
        conducted by telephone

HB 1161    RELATING TO ENFORCEMENT OF WAGE LAWS       LAB,JHA,FIN
        To clarify that attorney's fees and other costs of the
        opposing party shall not be assessed against the
        Director of Labor and Industrial Relations in cases
        involving the enforcement of the Wage and Hour,
        Payment of Wages and Other Compensation laws,
        including the collection of unpaid wages.

HB 1162    RELATING TO SAFETY                             LAB,FIN
        (1) To correct an oversight in the 1998 Legislative
        Session, which had not been taken into consideration,
        the effect of Act 216 Session Laws of Hawaii 1997
        which would repeal the amendments to section 36-27,
        HRS 3 years before intended in Session Laws of Hawaii
        1998;
        (2) For grammatical correctness, the "of" is necessary
        to differentiate the "permit" as the noun object and
        not as an adverial clause, which is a misreading of
        the "permit to operate";
        (3) to correct an error made in the 1998 Legislative
        Session which erroneously requires the department to

 
 
        not issue a "permit to operate" if the equipment is
        found to be safe; and
        (4) to raise the penalty for violation of a safety
        order from $1,000 to $10,000 as a deterrent for
        knowingly or with indifference or disregard operating
        regulated equipment in an unsafe manner or in
        violation of boiler and elevator rules.

HB 1163    RELATING TO CIVIL RIGHTS                       LAB,JHA
        To add "sexual orientation"as a protected basis in the
        laws against discrimination in public accommodations
        and real property transactions (housing) and "familial
        status" to the blockbusting law in housing.

HB 1165    RELATING TO THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
              HEALTH TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE FUND     LAB, FIN
        To continue the above fund which has been instrumental
        in providing needed services such as training,
        outreach, and consultation business, in the area of
        workplace accident prevention; and to clarify that the
        fund may be used to certify safety and health
        professionals and other professions such as blasters
        which are directly related to accident prevention.

HB 1166    RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING FUND PROGRAM      
              LAB, FIN
        TO clarify that the disbursements of the employment
        and training fund (ETF) are exempt from the provisions
        of chapter 103F, Hawaii Revised Statutues.            

HB 1036    RELATING TO INVESTMENTS OF THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT 
        SYSTEM                                         LAB,FIN
        To help limit the ERS' liability in real estate
        investments.

HB 1042    RELATING TO THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES HEALTH FUND   LAB,FIN
        To enable the Health Fund's Board of Trustees to
        contract for more than one type of benefit plan for
        medical, drug, vision, and dental benefits.

HB 1044    RELATING TO HEALTH BENEFITS FOR PART-TIME, TEMPORARY,
        AND SEASONAL OR CASUAL EMPLOYEES               LAB,FIN
        To offer medical benefits to part-time, temporary, and
        seasonal/casual employees at no cost to the employer.

HB 1047    RELATING TO MAXIMUM RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE       LAB,FIN
        To limit the maximum retirement allowance to eighty
        percent and to fifty percent of the members's average
        final compensation for contributory and non-
        contraibutory members, respectively.

 
 
 
HB 1049    RELATING TO THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES HEALTH FUND   LAB,FIN
        To require employee organizations that participate in
        the Health Fund benefit plans to return refunds from
        their insurance carriers to the Health Fund.

HB 1060    RELATING TO THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES HEALTH FUND   LAB,FIN
        To eliminate the state and county employer
        contributions for health benefits for dependents of
        employees hired after the effective date of this bill
        for an Act and limit employer health fund benefit
        contributions for their employees when they retire.


                 DECISION MAKING TO FOLLOW

PERSONS WISHING TO TESTIFY ARE REQUESTED TO SUBMIT 45 COPIES OF
THEIR TESTIMONY 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE HEARING TO:  (1)  THE
COMMITTEE'S VICE CHAIR IN ROOM 323, STATE CAPITOL; OR (2)  THE
HOUSE SGT.-AT-ARMS PERSONNEL IN THE TURNAROUND AREA OF THE
CAPITOL BASEMENT PARKING LOT.  TESTIMONY MAY BE FAXED TO THE
HOUSE SGT.-AT-ARMS OFFICE AT:  586-6501 (OAHU) OR 1-800-535-3859
(NEIGHBOR ISLANDS).  WHEN FAXING, PLEASE INDICATE TO WHOM THE
TESTIMONY IS BEING SUBMITTED, THE DATE AND TIME OF THE HEARING,
AND THE REQUIRED NO. OF COPIES THAT IS NEEDED FOR SUBMITTAL.

IT IS ALSO REQUESTED THAT THE COPIES BE ON ONE SIDE OF AN 8-1/2"
X 11" SHEET WITH TWO HOLES PUNCHED AT THE TOP.  FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE LABOR AND PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
COMMITTEE CLERK AT 586-8450.

IF YOU REQUIRE SPECIAL ASSISTANCE OR AUXILIARY AIDS AND/OR
SERVICES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS OF THE
STATE HOUSE (I.E., SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER, WHEELCHAIR
ACCESSIBILITY, OR PARKING DESIGNATED FOR THE DISABLED), PLEASE
CONTACT THE COMMITTEE CLERK 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE HEARING SO
ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE MADE.

AS A REMINDER, ATTENDEES ARE ASKED AS COURTESY TO REFRAIN FROM
LEAVING CELLULAR PHONES OR PAGERS ON AUDIBLE ALERT.



                               _______________________________
                               Rep. Terry Nui Yoshinaga
                               Chair