STAND. COM. REP. NO.  97

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 926

 

 

 

 

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. 926 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH HEARINGS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Hawaii Labor Relations Board to provide parties with written notice of a hearing by first class mail and to clarify the powers of the Board in conducting hearings.

 

     The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations submitted testimony in support of this measure.

 

     Section 91-9.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires the Hawaii Labor Relations Board to provide parties with written notice of a hearing by registered or certified mail.  Your Committee finds that such a requirement is not an efficient use of state resources and does not provide parties with significant additional protections when compared to first class mail.  Your Committee believes that authorizing the Hawaii Labor Relations Board to provide notice by first class mail will save money for the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, which may then be used toward implementing the Department's paperless litigation and electronic filing and document management system.  Your Committee further finds that authorizing members of the Board to have the same powers as the circuit courts with regard to witness testimony and documentary evidence will clarify the Board's authority for conducting appeals.

 

     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. 926 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