Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2211 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to remove unnecessary delays in the provision of health care under the workers' compensation law by repealing the definition of "day or days" under the State's workers' compensation law.

Testimony in support of this bill was received from Hawaii Insurers Council. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations submitted testimony in support of this bill and offered additional comments. Hawaii State AFL-CIO offered testimony in support of the intent of this bill.

Your Committee finds that defining "day" to mean a working day as opposed to a calendar day, unnecessarily prolongs the workers' compensation process for injured workers waiting for payment of a claim or a decision on a contested claim. This bill will help workers receive treatment faster.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2211 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.