Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs and Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1305, H.D. 1, entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit an employer from discriminating between male and female employees by paying disparate salaries to these employees for equal work based solely on the sex of the employee. This measure also establishes a pay equity task force to review relevant information and make recommendations to the Legislature to correct gender-based pay inequities.

Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the Hawaii State Teachers Association. The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii testified in opposition to the measure. The Department of Human Resources Development commented on the measure.

Your Committees find that sex-based discrimination in regard to the disparate levels of compensation paid to male and female employees for comparable work exists and must be remedied.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1305, H.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Third Reading.