STAND. COM. REP. NO.  82

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 272

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 272 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKPLACE PRACTICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to protect public employees from abusive conduct in the workplace by establishing abusive conduct as a workplace safety and health violation.

     More specifically, the measure provides:

(1)  Victims with a process to initiate complaints against those engaging in abusive conduct;

(2)  A hearing process for resolving the complaints; and

(3)  Remedies for victims of abusive conduct.

     Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development and the Judiciary.

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

     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. 272 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,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair