STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2626

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 Ways and Means, 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 in order to expedite hearings on certain workers' compensation matters.

     More specifically, this measure would allow a hearings officer to conduct hearings and prepare proposed decisions and orders to be reviewed by the Board, particularly for time-sensitive matters concerning issues such as vocational rehabilitation, medical care, and temporary total disability benefits.

     Testimony in support of the measure was received from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that fast-tracking the time-sensitive appeals through a hearings officer trained, employed, and directed by the Chair and members of the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board will promote timely and cost-effective decision-making and help to ensure the issuance of meaningful and case relevant decisions.

     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. 3088 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