STAND. COM. REP. NO. 354

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1233

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1233 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LEAVES OF ABSENCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require private employers of fifty or more employees to allow employees to take paid leaves of absence for organ, bone marrow, and peripheral blood stem cell donation.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii, Hawaii Bone Marrow Donor Registry, and four individuals.

     Your Committee finds that private employers are not currently required to give employees paid time off for donating organs, bone marrow, or peripheral blood stem cells.  Your Committee finds that many people in the State who would otherwise donate these vital medical resources delay or altogether refrain from donation because they cannot take time off of work to do so.  Your Committee finds that legislation requiring employers to allow employees paid time off for organ, bone marrow, and peripheral blood stem cell donation is necessary to provide life-saving medical resources to benefit citizens of the State in medical need.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1233 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

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

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair