STAND. COM. REP. NO. 349

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 1392

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1392 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create an exemption for unpaid interns enrolled in a Department of Education program from the wages and hours requirements of employees on public works projects.

Your Committee received testimony support of this measure from the Department of Education and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Hawaii Construction Alliance, Pacific Resource Partnership, Hawaii Carpenters Apprenticeship & Training Trust Fund, General Contractors Association of Hawaii, YouthBuild Waimanalo, and Hawaii Laborers' Union Local 368. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Your Committee finds that work-based learning opportunities such as internships are an essential component to a high-quality Career and Technical Education program of study. The exemption for unpaid interns enrolled in a Department of Education Program from the wages and hours requirements of employees on public works projects as provided by this measure will increase access to student internships that provide invaluable real world work experience.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Applying the exemption from the wages and hours requirements of employees on public works projects to any intern enrolled in a Department of Education program, regardless of whether they are unpaid; and

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1392, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1392, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair