STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2054

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2192
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor and Environment, to which was
referred S.B. No. 2192 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION
     ACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to strengthen the protection
provided by Hawaii's Whistleblowers' Protection Act by providing
protection to employees who report to government entities or
their employers violations of law, rule, regulation, or
ordinance; or information demonstrating danger to the public
health, safety, and welfare.

     The bill also extends the time to ask for injunctive relief
from ninety days to two years and increases the fine for
violation of the Act from $500 to $10,000.

     Testimony in favor of the measure was received from the
Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, ILWU Local 142,
League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Common Cause Hawaii, Hawaii
Nurses' Association, Hawaii Electricians Market Enhancement
Program Fund, HGEA-AFSCME, and eight individuals.  Testimony in
opposition to the measure was received from the Chamber of
Commerce of Hawaii and the Society of Human Resource Management -
Hawaii Chapter.  Oral testimony was submitted by the
Environmental Center and one individual.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2054
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     Your Committee finds that amendments to Hawaii's
Whistleblowers' Protection Act are necessary.  Extending the
Act's protection to employees who report violations to their
employers encourages employees to report violations.  Increasing
the penalty to $10,000 will serve as a deterrent to employers
from retaliating against employees.  If employees are retaliated
against, extension of the statute of limitations to two years
will provide adequate time to gather information and evidence.
Your Committee is in agreement that  the amendments strengthen
the Whistleblowers' Protection Act.

     Your Committee made technical, nonsubstantive amendments to
reflect preferred drafting style.

     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 S.B. No. 2192, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2192,
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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