STAND. COM. REP. NO. 401-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2552

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 Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2552, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYEE BENEFITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Extend, under certain conditions, the family leave period for up to eight additional weeks for employees who are unable to perform their employment duties due to the birth of a child who is required to stay in a neonatal intensive care unit; and

(2) Require the Civil Rights Commission to amend its administrative rules to include neonatal care as a related medical condition for purposes of sex discrimination.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Disability and Communication Access Board; Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!; and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission.

Your Committee finds that in 2020, ten percent of all live births were preterm, with approximately 1.6 percent being "very preterm", or born before thirty-two weeks of gestation. These preterm and very preterm babies often spend weeks or months in neonatal intensive care units, which in turn requires their parents to also spend weeks or months at the neonatal intensive care units in support of their babies' care. Your Committee further finds that for many parents, it is impossible to maintain full-time employment under these circumstances. This measure is intended to support the State's workers who might otherwise be faced with the untenable choice between preserving their employment and supporting the health of their newborn child.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2552, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair