STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1470

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 162

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 162, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide an expanded pool of interest arbitrators for purposes of collective bargaining.

More specifically, the measure:

(1) Authorizes the Hawaii Labor Relations Board to request the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to furnish a list of five qualified and experienced interest arbitrators if the parties fail to select the neutral third member of the arbitration panel; and

(2) Clarifies that the list of five interest arbitrators may contain arbitrators from both the American Arbitration Association and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, Hawaii State AFL-CIO, and United Public Workers.

Your Committee finds that an expanded pool of qualified interest arbitrators will promote impartiality and efficiency in the State's collective bargaining process.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 162, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair