STAND. COM. REP. NO. 321

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 158

H.D. 1

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. 158 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize striking workers to be eligible for unemployment benefits.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Labor Caucus; Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network Speaks!; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Hawaiʻi Nurses' Association; Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; IATSE Local 665; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1357; Pride at Work; UNITE HERE! Local 5; United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO; Hawaii State AFL-CIO; University of Hawaii Professional Assembly; and four individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from NFIB Hawaii Chapter and the Society of Human Resource Management-Hawaii. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Your Committee finds that employees who are striking during labor disputes with their employer are not eligible to receive unemployment benefits. Your Committee also finds that workers resort to striking only when all efforts have been exhausted to reach a fair agreement which results in striking workers undertaking financial burdens. Your Committee believes that this measure ensures striking workers are supported while they are working through an impasse with employers.

Your Committee 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 that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 158, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 158, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JACKSON D. SAYAMA, Chair