Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Labor & Public Employment and Public Safety & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 761 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to assist military troops and their families in Hawaii by allowing an employee to use family leave during any calendar year upon the military deployment of the employee's child, spouse, or reciprocal beneficiary.

The Hawaii National Guard Enlisted Association and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill. The Department of Human Resources Development and Department of Labor and Industrial Relations supported the intent of the measure. The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and Society for Human Resource Management opposed this bill.

Your Committees find that the men and women of our armed services are instrumental in maintaining our nation's defenses. Recent global events have required the "call-up" of increasing numbers of National Guard and Reserve troops. This call-up of National Guard and Reserve troops is the largest such action since the Vietnam War. Approximately 40 per cent of troops currently serving in Iraq are from the National Guard and Reserves.

These individuals are often placed in harm's way, and their families should be given an opportunity to spend as much time as possible with their loved one before they are deployed.

Your Committees find that the term "military deployment" as used in this bill is ambiguous and may encompass situations, such as training deployments, which are not intended to be covered by this bill and that use of this benefit should be limited to leave time spent with the deployed employee to prevent abuse. Your Committees, therefore, recommend that these issues be addressed in subsequent legislative review.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor & Public Employment and Public Safety & Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 761 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.