STAND. COM. REP. NO.  98

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 927

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Labor & Public Employment and Economic Development & Business, to which was referred H.B. No. 927 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING FUND,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the use of moneys in the employment and training fund for training programs for small business that are included in the State's economic development strategy.

The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism submitted testimony in support of this measure.

     Your Committees find that small businesses in Hawaii are important for job growth and economic development, but small businesses frequently lack staff and resources to invest in improving workforce skills.  Your Committees further find that authorizing and prioritizing the use of moneys in the employment and training fund for education and training programs to meet identified needs for small businesses will assist in alleviating critical skill shortages in Hawaii's workforce.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor & Public Employment and Economic Development & Business that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 927 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Labor & Public Employment and Economic Development & Business,

____________________________ CLIFT TSUJI, Chair

____________________________ MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair