STAND. COM. REP. NO. 646

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 222

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 Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred H.B. No. 222, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE WAGE AND HOUR LAW,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend the definition of "employee" in Hawaii's wage and hour law by excluding individuals who are primarily engaged in the range production of livestock.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Your Committee finds that under Hawaii's existing wage and hour law, which includes, among other things, minimum wage and overtime requirements, the definition of "employee" already excludes any individual employed in agriculture for any workweek in which the employer of the individual employs less than twenty employees. Your Committee further finds that livestock production employees have unique needs and tasks that vary widely from day to day and therefore require more flexibility than is currently provided under the wage and hour law, including under the existing exemption for certain agricultural employees. This measure would grant that additional flexibility by exempting from the requirements of the wage and hour law employees of livestock producer employers for any workweek in which the employer employs twenty or more employees.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 222, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems,

____________________________

KIRSTIN KAHALOA, Chair