STAND. COM. REP. NO. 350
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2009
RE: H.B. No. 955
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Fifth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2009
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 955 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD CHECKS FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to improve public safety by expanding the authority of the counties to conduct criminal history record checks on certain prospective employees.
The State Fire Council, Honolulu Fire Department, Department of Human Resources of the City and County of Honolulu, Honolulu Emergency Services Department, Department of Personnel Services of the County of Maui, Department of Human Resources of the County of Hawaii, and Kauai Fire Department testified in support of this bill. The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission testified in opposition to this measure.
Current law allows for certain positions within government, particularly those involving contact with children, dependent adults, or senior citizens, to be subject to pre-employment criminal history record checks.
Your Committee finds that there are additional positions within county government for which pre-employment criminal history record checks are not currently authorized that should be subject to these record checks to further ensure public safety, particularly in cases where the employee will have contact with children, seniors, or dependent adults.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 955 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,
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____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair |
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