STAND. COM. REP. NO.  784

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 4

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 4, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure to establish a paid sick leave right for employees, including the right of employees to be absent from the work place to care for themselves or family members, together with the conditions which must be met to qualify for the sick leave rights, and the limitations and requirements thereof, including, among other things:

(1)  Requiring employees to work more than 680 hours per year to accrue a minimum of one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked;

(2)  Limiting the absence of the employee from the work place based on paid sick leave to:

(A)  The employee's or family member's mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; or

(B)  A public health emergency orders the closure of the employee's workplace, or due to a public health emergency, the employee needs to care for a child whose school or place of care is closed or care for a family member whose presence in the community is jeopardizing the health of others;

(3)  Allowing employers to decide the manner in which sick leave is provided;

(4)  Establishing notice, posting, confidentiality, and nondisclosure requirements for employers regarding paid sick leave; and

(5)  Exempting certain employers with qualifying paid sick leave policies, minimum wages, and number of employees.

The Graduate Student Organization at the University of Hawaii at Manoa; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1260, AFL-CIO; Hawaii State AFL-CIO; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152 AFL-CIO; LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; Labor Caucus of Hawaii Democratic Party; International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142; and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Department of Human Resources Development, Department of Human Resources of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii Restaurant Association, The Hawaii Business League, Hawaii Food Industry Association, First Commercial Kitchen LLC, The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Maui Chamber of Commerce, Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, Highway Inn, National Federation of Independent Business, Society for Human Resource Management-Hawaii Chapter, Hawaii Credit Union League, Ocean Tourism Coalition, Retail Merchants of Hawaii, Maui Hotel & Lodging Association, General Contractors Association of Hawaii, Tiki's Grill & Bar, IL Gelato Hawaii, The Patissierie Inc, and one concerned individual opposed this measure.  The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Health, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, and Hawaii Children's Action Network submitted 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 H.B. No. 4, 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