STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1075

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1503

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1503 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to strengthen protections for dislocated workers by amending Hawaii's Dislocated Workers Law to:

     (1)  Expand the 60-day notification requirements to employees and the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations (Director) of the closing of covered establishments; and

     (2)  Impose penalties on an employer who fails to notify the Director or employees of a closing, partial closing, divestiture, or relocation of a business.

     The Hawaii State AFL-CIO and ILWU Local 142 testified in support of this bill.  The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii opposed this measure.  The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to January 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1503, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1503, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

TOMMY WATERS, Chair