STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2352

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 3084

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Economic Development and Taxation, to which was referred S.B. No. 3084 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to transfer the Workforce Development Council from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Workforce Development Council; the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; and The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.

     Your Committees find that the national trend is for workforce development to be placed in states' commerce departments rather than remain a function of the labor departments.  Your Committees also find that this measure may assist with securing federal funding for workforce development projects by demonstrating the State's commitment to aligning workforce development with economic development initiatives.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Economic Development and Taxation that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3084 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Economic Development and Taxation,

____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair

____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair