Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor and Public Employment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1157 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to transfer the responsibility of adjudicating appeals on matters of Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health (HIOSH) from the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board (LIRAB) to the Hawaii Labor Relations Board (HLRB).

LIRAB, HLRB, and ILWU Local 142 testified in support of this measure.

Your Committee finds that HIOSH cases involve important health and safety issues in the workplace. Currently, cases dealing with HIOSH and workers' compensation issues are under the jurisdiction of LIRAB. This has resulted in a severe backlog in hearings. The resolution of these cases takes several months, and at times, over a year. By allowing HLRB to hear cases involving HIOSH issues, LIRAB will be able to handle its caseload on a more timely basis.

Your Committee further finds that since July, 2000, LIRAB and HLRB have worked cooperatively to utilize HLRB's existing resources to address the backlog of HIOSH cases with great success and that this measure will only serve to improve all aspects of the resolution of HIOSH cases.

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. 1157 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.