Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2025, H.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to prohibit employers from paying disparate wages based on gender to employees who perform the same work, except when the disparity is based on a seniority system, merit system, system that measures earnings based on quantity or quality of production, bona fide occupational qualification, or any other factor other than sex.

ILWU Local 142, the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, and two concerned individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission supported the intent of this measure. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations offered comments.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2025, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2025, H.D. 3.