STAND. COM. REP. NO. 538

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 614

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. 614 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILY LEAVE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is:

     (1)  To authorize as a use of family leave, the time taken off from work by an employee to address family care, legal, and financial issues directly related to or resulting from the impending military deployment or active military deployment of the employee's child, spouse, reciprocal beneficiary, or parent; and

     (2)  To require that the employee provide the employee's employer with documentation verifying the military deployment.

     This measure defines "military deployment" as the deployment of, by order of a branch of the United States military, an employee serving in the military to a region where hostile and hazardous combat or peacekeeping activities are being conducted.

     Your Committee finds that many members of the United States military and their families face unique stresses and challenges that require strong family support.  Your Committee further finds that this measure provides an appropriate amount of family leave to employees to address those issues if those employees provide sufficient certification or documentation proving military deployment.

     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. 614 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair