Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 977 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide protection for public employees who report information on the misuse or waste of public funds or the commission of fraud by other public employees or public bodies.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Human Resources Development and the Hawaii Government Employees Association. Comments on this measure were also submitted by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Your Committee finds that although the law provides for the protection of employees against discharge, threats or other discrimination as the result of the employee's act of whistleblowing, additional protection should be afforded to public employees. Many public employees are reluctant to report the misuse of public funds or the commission of fraud by other public employees or a public body for fear of retaliation. Your Committee determines that the law must encourage public employees to come forward and report these types of acts in order to promote efficient, effective and honest government, through the protection of public employees who report such acts.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 977 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.