STAND. COM. REP. NO. 481

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 309

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 S.B. No. 309 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow sheriffs' chaplains to be entitled to workers' compensation if injured while performing services for the Department of Public Safety.

     This measure defines a sheriffs' chaplain as a member of an authorized chaplaincy program of the Department of Public Safety who performs functions similar to a police chaplain in a voluntary and unpaid capacity for the Sheriff Division.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Public Safety.  A copy of the written testimony is available for review on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that sheriffs' chaplains should receive the same workers' compensation benefits as other volunteers such as police chaplains, who currently receive workers' compensation benefits, as sheriffs' chaplains perform services similar to those provided by police chaplains.

     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 S.B. No. 309 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