STAND. COM. REP. NO.  96

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 925

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. 925 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY APPEALS REFEREE'S OFFICE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide for more efficiency and effectiveness in state government in the area of employment security appeals.

Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Establishes that a written notice of an employment security appeal hearing shall be mailed to a claimant or party by first class mail not less than twelve days prior to the initial hearing date; and

     (2)  Authorizes a claimant or party to an appeal to receive hearing notices and other appeal documents from the Employment Security Appeals Referee's Office in electronic format instead of mail correspondence.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

     Your Committee finds that this measure could potentially reduce the waiting time for an unemployment appeal hearing date for parties who file an appeal with the Employment Security Appeals Referee's Office, by reducing the advance notice requirement for an appeal hearing from fifteen days to twelve days.  Although fifteen-day notice of hearing is mandated pursuant to section 91-9.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, a shorter notice period "is permitted if otherwise provided by law."  A twelve day notice requirement is consistent with a ten day nationwide average notice requirement for unemployment appeal hearings.  In addition, allowing electronic notifications of appeals hearings will save resources by allowing parties to more quickly establish a clear applicable date for calculating further appeal deadlines.

     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. 925 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair