STAND. COM. REP. NO. 223-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2343

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor & Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 2343 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENFORCEMENT OF ORDERS OF WAGE PAYMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to broaden enforcement of orders of wage payment violations to allow for certified copies of orders of wage payment violations to be filed in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; and Hawaii Operating Engineers Industry Stabilization Fund Political Action Committee.

Your Committee finds that the current means of enforcing and collecting on final orders of wage payment violations exclusively in a circuit court is inefficient and results in delayed payments to employees who are entitled to reimbursement from employers who violated wage payment laws. Additionally, allowing enforcement proceedings to be brought in a district court would improve the efficiency of the process. This measure expedites enforcement of final orders of wage payment violation and ensures employees are paid in accordance with their employers' legal obligations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2343, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2343, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Government Operations,

____________________________

SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair