Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor and Public Employment, to which was referred S.B. No. 23, S.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to allow the Governor and mayors of the counties to grant an employee who, is a certified American Red Cross disaster volunteer, an unspecified number of days of paid leave to perform disaster relief services for the American Red Cross.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, Hawaii Nurses' Association, and American Red Cross.

Your Committee finds that the State's recovery in the event of a major disaster is dependent on the number of trained persons willing and able to perform disaster relief services over the weeks that such services are needed. Cost is a major factor, especially for those who in volunteering their services, forgo their regular income.

This measure recognizes that disaster relief services provided by volunteers are necessary for the welfare of the community, and should be supported by public funds. However, your Committee also recognizes that the appropriate level of support should be considered, and has thus amended this bill to provide that employees granted leaves of absence to perform disaster relief services will be paid at half their regular rates of pay.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor and Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 23, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 23, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.