STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2296

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 3088

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. 3088 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS APPEALS BOARD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board to employ a hearings officer.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the ILWU, and the Hawaii Medical Association.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will allow the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board to expedite hearings on workers' compensation treatment plan issues, vocational rehabilitation issues, and temporary total disability issues, as well as affording expedited resolution of time-sensitive matters from the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations to the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board.

     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. 3088 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