STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1518

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 122

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor and Technology, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 122 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT TO REEXAMINE THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR VACANT STATE POSITIONS AND REPLACE THE REQUIREMENT OF A BACHELOR'S DEGREE WITH AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE OR CERTIFICATE, WHERE APPLICABLE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Department of Human Resources Development to reexamine the qualifications for vacant state positions and replace the requirement of a bachelor's degree with an associate degree or certificate, where applicable.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development and the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that there is a significant number of public positions that are vacant within the State. This measure would enable individuals with associate degrees and certificates to seek and fill, when appropriate, certain vacant state positions that currently require a bachelor's degree, thereby filling existing vacancies, while providing Hawaii residents with access to stable careers and income. According to testimony received by your Committee, the Department of Human Resources Development periodically reviews the minimum qualification requirements for all classes of work. The Department also raised concerns regarding the difficulty of decreasing the minimum qualification requirements of vacant civil service positions without a labor intensive technical review and, therefore your Committee believes that in addition to reviewing the minimum qualification requirements of vacant state positions, a review of the Department's various recruitment strategies, compensation, retention tools, and training is necessary and appropriate to address the high rate of vacant state positions.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language relating to replacing the requirement of a bachelor's degree with an associate degree or certificate;

(2) Clarifying that:

(A) The Department of Human Resources Development has four thousand vacancies under its jurisdiction; and

(B) It is the policy of the Department of Human Resources Development to periodically review and verify the applicability of minimum qualifications required for vacant positions;

(3) Inserting language, which states that:

(A) It is in the best interest of the State to encourage the Department of Human Resources Development to identify, address, and remove known barriers to filling vacant positions;

(B) The classification and compensation review process is labor intensive and requires considerable expertise and skill by trained human resources individuals; and

(C) There may be innovative and creative ways to fill some of the vacant positions, including educating the public regarding alternative pathways to meeting the education and experience requirement for civil service positions;

(4) Broadening the purpose of this measure to urge the Department of Human Resources Development to examine reasons for the high rate of vacant state positions and explore solutions for filling the vacancies, including reexamining the minimum qualification requirements for those positions and educating the public and, in particular, potential workers on alternative pathways to meet the minimum qualification requirements for civil service positions, including apprenticeship programs;

(5) Amending its title to reflect its amended purpose; and

(6) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 122, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 122, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor and Technology,

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SHARON MORIWAKI, Chair