STAND. COM. REP. NO. 972

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 442

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 442 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 use a hearings officer to expedite hearings on certain workers' compensation matters.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by two state agencies and one organization.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that the hearings officer afforded by this measure would enable expedited resolution of time-sensitive matters on appeal from decisions of the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations and allow the use of current staff and resources more effectively.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 442, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair