STAND. COM. REP. NO.  38-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1530

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1530 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the University of Hawaii at Manoa to provide its nonsupervisory blue collar employees in collective bargaining unit (1) or one of their family members with tuition waivers comparable to the tuition waivers provided to faculty and their family members.

The University of Hawaii testified in opposition.  The United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO, and the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO provided comments.

     Your Committee notes that it has concerns about increasing benefits for university employees through legislation and not collective bargaining discussions.

Should the Committee on Higher Education deliberate on this measure further, your Committee on Labor & Public Employment respectfully requests that it look at the possibility of providing free community college classes for nonsupervisory blue collar employees.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 2091, to facilitate further discussion.

     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. 1530, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1530, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Higher Education.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair