STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1353

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   S.B. No. 857

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 857, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to ensure the timely payment of workers' compensation claims by establishing procedures that require employers to pay all workers' compensation claims for compensable injuries and prohibiting the denial of claims without reasonable cause or during a pending investigation.

The Hawaii Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, Hawaii Injured Workers Association, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142, Work Injury Medical Association of Hawaii, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this measure.  A concerned individual testified in support of the intent of this measure.  The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Human Resources of the City and County of Honolulu, The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, General Contractors Association of Hawaii, and Hawaii Insurers Council testified in opposition to this measure.  The Department of Human Resources Development provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the timeframe for an employer who has received a notification of services rendered or a bill from a provider of services to pay all charges within sixty calendar days, rather than thirty calendar days; 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 Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 857, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 857, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair