STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1598

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   S.B. No. 532

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 532, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BREASTFEEDING IN THE WORKPLACE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to promote the health of mothers and children by:

(1)  Requiring certain employers to provide a reasonable break time and an appropriate location for breastfeeding employees to express breast milk;

(2)  Requiring covered employers to post conspicuous notice of these requirements; and

(3)  Establishing civil penalties for a violation of this law.

The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO; Planned Parenthood of Hawaii; and a concerned individual supported this measure.  The Maui Chamber of Commerce and VIP Foodservice opposed this measure.  The Department of Health, Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Breastfeeding Hawaii, and The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii provided comments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 532, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair