STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1068
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2025
RE: H.B. No. 162
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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 162, H.D. 1, 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 Hawaii 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 their successors.
Your Committee finds that the collective bargaining process for public employees in the State relies on arbitration panels to resolve disputes. However, existing law limits the selection of neutral arbitrators to those provided by a single organization. This restriction can reduce the availability of experienced arbitrators and hinder the timely resolution of labor disputes. This measure will expand the pool of qualified arbitrators and ensure a more efficient and impartial arbitration process by allowing the Hawaii Labor Relations Board to request arbitrators from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 162, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 162, H.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,
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____________________________ DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair |
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