STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2623

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2876

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2876 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT SECURITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate federal Reed Act funds for fiscal year 2008‑2009 for the county workforce investment boards and the workforce development council.

     The Department of Public Safety, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Workforce Development Council, Hawaii County Mayor, Hawaii County Office of Housing & Community Development, Hawaii County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Hawaii Community College, Kauai County Office of Economic Development, Kanoelehua Industrial Area Association, Inc., Forward March, Big Island Toyota, and ten individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure.

     The Reed Act is a provision of the federal Social Security Act that provides for the distribution of federal unemployment tax funds to state unemployment insurance and employment service programs in the event the federal government collects excess unemployment tax revenue.  Your Committee finds that this measure is necessary under federal law to permit the use of the Reed Act distributions.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2876 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair