STAND. COM. REP. NO.  5

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 536

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 536 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to encourage improvements in pay equity between men and women by:

(1)  Requiring State government contractors to pay employees equal wages for equal work;

(2)  Requiring State government contractors to report wages paid to employees by gender; and

(3)  Providing enforcement mechanisms and penalties for violations of these equal pay requirements.

The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Adopting the recommendations of the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission and removing the exception which would have allowed pay differentials for similar work, including differentials due to gender-related issues; 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 Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 536, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 536, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair