STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1776

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 104

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 104, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DIRECTOR OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO STUDY, DESIGN, AND DEVELOP A PAID FAMILY LEAVE PILOT PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request that the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations convene a task force to study, design, and develop a paid family leave pilot program to cover employers and employees in the County of Kauai and that could eventually be expanded to cover all public and private sector workers in the State.

More specifically, this measure requests that the task force:

(1) Commence its work upon the appointment of a simple majority of its members;

(2) Recommend the basic structure of a paid family leave pilot program;

(3) Examine impacts and estimated costs of establishing and implementing the pilot program;

(4) Examine opportunities and challenges of expanding the pilot program to the State's entire workforce; and

(5) Report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 20202.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates - Hawaii, AAUW of Hawaii, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, and Breastfeeding Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that most workers will need to take time off from work at some point in their lives to care for a family member. Your Committee also finds that due to financial constraints, a majority of Hawaii's workforce cannot afford to take unpaid leave for family caregiving purposes. Your Committee believes that convening a task force to develop an expandable paid family leave pilot program is a first step toward addressing these issues and alleviating a hardship that affects many of Hawaii's workers.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 104, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

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

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair