STAND. COM. REP. NO. 657

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1144

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 1144, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT IN THE STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Department of Land and Natural Resources to employ civil service and non-civil service professionals and technical staff in its State Historic Preservation Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Department of Land and Natural Resources. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.

Your Committee finds that the State Historic Preservation Program is faced with high vacancy rates for professional and technical staff. Your Committee recognizes that exempting certain positions from civil service status is a great incentive to attract qualified candidates, retain staff, and offer competitive wages.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that professional and technical staff are exempt from civil service; 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 that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1144, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1144, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

JACKSON D. SAYAMA, Chair