STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1560

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.C.R. No. 178

      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 Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 178 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING A STUDY OF THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION SYSTEM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT AND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request that the Auditor conduct a study of the State's workers' compensation system, specifically as it relates to the Department of Human Resources Development (DHRD) and the Department of Education (DOE).

     The American Physical Therapy Association Hawaii Chapter and the Hawaii Government Employees Association testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Education and the Department of Human Resources Development supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations offered comments.

     Your committee finds that a number of audits and studies regarding the workers' compensation system have already been undertaken.  As such, your committee has amended this concurrent resolution by requesting the Auditor to conduct a financial and management audit of the workers' compensation system as it relates to DHRD and DOE, instead of a general study of the system. 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 178, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Legislative Management in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 178, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

ALEX M. SONSON, Chair