STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2293

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2779

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2779 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to clarify the circumstances under which the Governor may suspend statutes relating to wages and hours on public work projects.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Carpenters Union.  Testimony in opposition was submitted by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the Department of Accounting and General Services.

     Your Committee finds that this measure is necessary to clarify the circumstances in which the Governor may suspend wage and hour laws on public work projects and to ensure that emergency powers are used properly and not to the detriment of Hawaii's workers.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2779 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair