STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2400

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3142

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Labor, Culture and the Arts and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 3142 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to include reserve public safety law enforcement officers on the list of volunteer occupations covered under the State's workers' compensation law.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Public Safety, and one individual.

Your Committees find that the Department of Public Safety is prepared to start a volunteer enforcement program similar to the police reserve programs in county police departments. The program will recruit the Department's recent retirees and motivated members of the public as volunteer reserve public safety law enforcement officers to assist the Department with its law enforcement responsibilities. Your Committees further find that the volunteer reserve public safety law enforcement officers will be trained to the same standard as the Department's full-time law enforcement officers, since they will be exposed to the same extent of risk, danger, and injuries as full-time law enforcement officers. This measure will allow any such injuries to be compensated under the State's workers' compensation law, and therefore, enable the Department of Public Safety to enhance public safety by augmenting its cadre of volunteer reserve public safety law enforcement officers with qualified personnel.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor, Culture and the Arts and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3142 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Labor, Culture and the Arts and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

________________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair