STAND. COM. REP. NO.  20-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2018

RE:   H.B. No. 1724

      H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1724 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to strengthen provisions to combat human trafficking in the bar, exotic dance, and massage businesses by:

     (1)  Requiring massage therapy establishments that employ three or more people, rather than five or more people, to post information regarding the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline;

     (2)  Increasing the fines to $500 for the first offense and $1,000 for each separate offense thereafter for noncompliance with information posting requirements and directing the deposit of fines collected into the Human Trafficking Victim Services Fund; and

     (3)  Authorizing the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) to contract with state or county departments or agencies, including county liquor commissions, to implement or enforce posting requirements.

UNITE, IMUAlliance, and the Oahu County Legislative Priorities Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii testified in support of this measure.  DLIR commented on this measure.

     Your Committee notes that DLIR raised concerns in its testimony that DLIR has undertaken no enforcement actions to date on this posting requirement because of a lack of funding and that contracting with outside agencies for enforcement will require additional funding.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to January 1, 2050, 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. 1724, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1724, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair