STAND. COM. REP. NO. 475

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 162

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. 162 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the Hawaiʻi Labor Relations Board to include the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in their request to the American Arbitration Association to furnish a list of five qualified interest arbitrators, to mediate labor disputes; and

(2) Clarify that the list of five interest arbitrators may contain interest arbitrators from the American Arbitration Association and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, or its successors.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State AFL-CIO; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaiʻi Labor Relations Board.

Your Committee finds that the American Arbitration Association is the only organization that is authorized to furnish a list of five neutral interest arbitrators to mediate impasses during labor disputes. Your Committee believes that expanding the pool of qualified and experienced interest arbitrators to be chosen from can ensure fairness and efficiency to resolve labor disputes.

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. 162, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 162, 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,

____________________________

JACKSON D. SAYAMA, Chair