STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3325

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1971

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1971, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Authorize administrative, support, and instructional employees in charter schools to fully participate in the State's systems for certain employee benefits and additional supports and incentives that are offered by the Department of Education to employees in Department public schools;

     (2)  Require the Department of Education and State Public Charter School Commission to identify all incentives and bonuses provided to public school employees, including charter school employees, pursuant to statute, any master agreements and supplemental agreements entered into between the Department of Education and the exclusive representatives as defined in chapter 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and any supplemental agreements entered into pursuant to section 302D-25, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and indicate the total dollar amount and funding distribution method for each;

     (3)  Require the Department of Education and State Public Charter School Commission to report their findings, including recommendations on the most efficient and equitable funding distribution methods associated with the incentives and bonuses identified, to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2015; and

     (4)  Appropriate an unspecified sum out of general revenues to the Department of Education for fiscal year 2014-2015 for the purpose of providing additional benefits, support, and incentives to charter school employees.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission; Hawaii State Teachers Association; United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO; and two individuals.

     Your Committees find that this measure will provide greater parity between benefits available to administrative, support, and instructional employees in charter schools and administrative, support, and instructional employees at Department of Education public schools.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1971, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means,

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

____________________________ CLAYTON HEE, Chair