STAND. COM. REP. NO. 755-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 1701

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1701, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EQUAL PAY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to promote pay equity by:

(1) Conforming statutory prohibitions against wage discrimination with other prohibitions on employment discrimination;

(2) Clarifying the factors that can be used by employers to justify differences in compensation based on seniority, merit, or other nondiscriminatory factors;

(3) Requiring employers to disclose wage ranges to employees and prospective employees; and

(4) Updating the term "equal work", as used in state nondiscrimination statutes, to "substantially similar work".

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Hawaii Women's Coalition, ILWU Local 142, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, Americans for Democratic Action, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, Hawaii Democratic Party Women's Caucus, Breastfeeding Hawaii, American Association of University Women of Hawaii, LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Pride at Work – Hawaii, and five individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Credit Union League; Island Plastic Bags Inc.; Retail Merchants of Hawaii; Hawaii Bankers Association; Maui Chamber of Commerce; and Calypso Charters. Your Committee received comments on this measure from Common Cause Hawaii, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Pono Hawaii Initiative, Queen's Health Systems, Hawaii Food Industry Association, and Hawaii Pacific Health.

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. 1701, 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