STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2770

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3023

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3023, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MINIMUM WAGE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to encourage economic equality for impaired individuals.

Specifically, this measure repeals provisions that allow individuals whose learning capacity is impaired by old age or physical or mental deficiency or injury to receive wages lower than the applicable minimum wage.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the AFL-CIO, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Young Progressives Demanding Action-Hawaii, IMUAlliance, Pono Hawaii Initiative, National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii, Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, Progressive Democrats of Hawaii, and six individuals.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Self Advocacy Advisory Council and Lanakila Pacific.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, and Hawaii Disability Rights Center.

Your Committee finds that with Hawaii's high cost of living and the availability and advancement of assistive technologies that can aid all workers, it is necessary that the State's policies be supportive and inclusive to allow all workers with disabilities to reach their full vocational and socioeconomic potential.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding a new part to the measure that appropriates funds to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to conduct a study on the effects of minimum wage increases;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

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

Your Committee notes that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism estimates that the minimum wage study required by part II of this measure, as amended, will cost approximately $100,000.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3023, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3023, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair