STAND. COM. REP. NO. 482

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 555

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. 555 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require employers to authorize and permit employees a ten minute paid rest period for every four hours worked.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from six individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Hawaiʻi Restaurant Association; Kapolei Chamber of Commerce; Retail Merchants of Hawaii; and Tiki's Grill & Bar. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Department of Human Resources of the City and County of Honolulu; Hawaii Food Industry Association; and Matson Navigation Company, Inc.

Your Committee finds that it is important to ensure all employers provide employees with rest periods during their work shift without deducting wages. Your Committee further finds that while some employers informally provide their employees with paid rest periods, it is not a requirement for them to do so. This measure protects employees against bad employer practices by adding a requirement for employers to permit a paid rest period for every four hours worked in statute.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the requirements of this measure does not apply to public employees who are excluded from collective bargaining;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) 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. 555, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 555, 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