STAND. COM. REP. NO. 788

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 755

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 Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 755, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PAID FAMILY LEAVE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) By January 1, 2028, require the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to establish and administer a Family and Medical Leave Program and begin collecting payroll contributions to finance payment of benefits; and

(2) By January 1, 2029, require the Department to start receiving claims and paying benefits under the Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Aging; Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women; one member of the Hawaiʻi County Council; Pride at Work – Hawaiʻi; Healthy Eating Active Living Coalition; Indivisible Hawaii; Hawaiʻi Family Caregiver Coalition; Aloha United Way; ALICE Initiative; Early Childhood Action Strategy; AARP Hawaiʻi; Imua Alliance; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; AAUW of Hawaii; Young Democrats of Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Hawaiʻi State LGBTQ+ Commission; Hawaiʻi Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi; ACLU of Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!; Hawaiʻi Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations; AlohaCare; Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; Hawaiʻi Women Lawyers; Papa Ola Lokahi; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO; Hawaiʻi Restaurant Association; Retail Merchants of Hawaii; Tiki's Grill & Bar; Hawaii Energy Marketers Association; Grassroot Institute of Hawaii; NFIB Hawaii Chapter; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; IL Gelato Hawaii; Society of Human Resource Management – Hawaii; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Gyotaku Restaurants; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development; Department of Budget and Finance; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Hawaii Food Industry Association; and Kapolei Chamber of Commerce.

Your Committee finds that the United States is the only developed country that does not provide national paid family leave. Your Committee further finds that thirteen states and the District of Columbia have passed paid family leave laws, and the states with paid family leave have seen significant health, social, and economic benefits. Many of the State's working families do not have adequate amounts of paid leave, which causes financial hardship and increased dependency on public assistance during times of illness or caregiving. This measure will provide working families with family and medical leave benefits, which can help workers retain employment while caring for family and help businesses retain key employees and remain competitive.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that repealed the definitions of "child," "course of conduct," and "electronic communications" for purposes of laws relating to reasonable accommodations in the workplace for an employee who is a victim of domestic or sexual violence; 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 Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 755, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 755, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair