STAND. COM. REP. NO. 596-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2798
                                     H.D. 2




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which
was referred H.B. No. 2798, H.D. 1, entitled: 

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to provide a number of
factors that the Director of the Department of Labor and
Industrial Relations (DLIR) may consider in approving attorneys'
fees.    

     Testimony was received in support of this measure from the
Workers' Compensation Section of the Consumer Lawyers of Hawaii.
Testimony in opposition was received from the DLIR and Building
Industry Association of Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that the intent of this measure is to
provide the Director of the DLIR, Labor and Industrial Relations
Appeal Board, and any court deciding a workers' compensation
case, with the discretion to consider additional factors in
determining or approving reasonable attorneys' fees, including
comparable civil litigation attorneys' fees.

     Your Committee has amended this measure to incorporate
technical, nonsubstantive amendments made for purposes of
clarity, consistency, and style.


 
 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 596-00
                                 Page 2

 
     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of H.B. No. 2798, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and
recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto
as H.B. No. 2798, H.D. 2.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Consumer
                                   Protection and Commerce,



                                   ______________________________
                                   RON MENOR, Chair