STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3150

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 6

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.R. No. 6 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FORMATION OF A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE ISSUE OF A CANCER PRESUMPTIVE STATUTE RELATING TO FIREFIGHTERS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the formation of a task force to study the issue of a cancer presumptive statute relating to firefighters.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the State Fire Council; Honolulu Fire Department; Hawai‘i Fire Department; Kaua‘i Fire Department; Maui Fire Department; and Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, Local 1463.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Health, Employees' Retirement System, and University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center.

     Your Committees find that University of Cincinnati environmental health researchers have determined that firefighters are significantly more likely to develop various types of cancer than workers in other fields.  A firefighter's cancer diagnosis can have an enormous impact on a spouse, children, and other family members, including a heavy emotional toll, financial costs, and a decreased quality of life.  Your Committees further find that thirty-four states and nine Canadian provinces have enacted cancer presumptive statutes, which create a presumption that certain types of cancer diagnosed among firefighters result from their employment as firefighters.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing the Administrator of the Disability Compensation Division of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, directors of each county department that oversees human resources, and representative from the health insurance industry from the membership of the Firefighter Cancer Presumptive Task Force;

     (2)  Adding the Chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor and House of Representatives Committee on Labor, Fire Chiefs from each county, Director of Labor and Industrial Relations, a representative from the Hawaii Employers' Mutual Insurance Company, and a representative from the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund to the membership of the Firefighter Cancer Presumptive Task Force; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 6, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 6, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair