STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3098

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2671

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Government Operations and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 2671, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to various agencies to collaboratively develop and implement agreed upon solutions to assist displaced workers on the island of Molokai.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Department of Human Resources Development; University of Hawai‘i System; three members of the Maui County Council; United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Hawaii Crop Improvement Association; and three individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Office of the Governor and Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Your Committees find that the island of Molokai has struggled for years with limited opportunities for gainful and consistent employment. Recently, this problem has been exacerbated by the relocation of some employer companies off the island. Your Committees recognize that as a result of the job losses and their trickle-down effects, families on Molokai may lose their homes, cars, and ability to pay for their children's college tuition. Accordingly, your Committees find that it is important to support the continued availability of gainful employment on Molokai.

However, your Committees note that there are questions about how the proposals will be effectively implemented once enacted, especially with regard to the expenditure of appropriated funds. Therefore, in order for the Legislature to administer proper oversight, your Committees find that it is necessary to require the Office of the Governor to submit a report to the Legislature detailing the efforts of the offices and departments involved and the expenditures made in pursuit of those efforts.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Office of the Governor to submit a report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2019 detailing the efforts made and expenditures of all offices and departments appropriated funds to assist dislocated workers and address the overall continued availability of gainful employment on the island of Molokai; and

(2) 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 Government Operations and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2671, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2671, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Government Operations and Labor,

________________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair

________________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair