STAND. COM. REP. NO.  778-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2496

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2496 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAII LABOR RELATIONS BOARD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require that the member of the Hawaii Labor Relations Board representing labor be selected by the Governor from a list of three nominees submitted by the exclusive representative organizations.  

The Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, Local 1463, IAFF, AFL-CIO; United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO; University of Hawaii Professional Assembly; and Hawaii State Teachers Association testified in support of this measure.  The Department of the Attorney General and The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii testified in opposition to this measure.  The Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME, Local 152, AFL-CIO provided comments.  

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending the procedure by which regular and acting members of the Hawaii Labor Relations Board are appointed to specify that:

          (A)  The representative of management shall be appointed by the Governor who shall first consider any names submitted by the counties;

          (B)  The representative of labor shall be appointed by the Governor from a list of three nominees submitted by mutual agreement of the exclusive representative organizations, but authorizing the Governor to appoint without being restricted to the list of nominees where the exclusive representative organizations provide less than three names; and

          (C)  The representative of the public shall be appointed by the Governor; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style. 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2496, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2496, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair