STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1683

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.C.R. No. 179

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.C.R. No. 179 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND TECHNOLOGY AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDING COMMITTEE ON LABOR TO CONVENE A LEGISLATIVE WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ESTABLISHING AND IMPLEMENTING A PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE PROGRAM FOR THE STATE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Senate Standing Committee on Labor and Technology and House of Representatives Standing Committee on Labor to convene a legislative working group to develop recommendations for establishing and implementing a paid family and medical leave program for the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women; Hawaii State LGBTQ+ Commission; Executive Office on Aging; Office of Wellness and Resilience; Hawaii County Council-District Two; Hawaii State Teachers Association; Catholic Charities Hawaii; Hawaii Nurses' Association; Democratic Party of Hawaii; AARP Hawaii; Indivisible Hawaii; Holomua Collaborative; Hawaii Public Health Institute; Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus; Imua Alliance; Aloha United Way; Wainiha Country Market Inc; Hawaii Government Employees Association; Hawaii State AFL-CIO; United Public Workers; Pride at Work Hawaii; Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks; and 33 individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Legislative Reference Bureau; University of Hawaii Professional Assembly; SHRM Hawaii; and the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that in the face of the current workforce shortage, a paid family and medical leave program would incentivize individuals to join the labor market and improve employee retention, filling gaps and saving employers long-term recruitment and training costs. Your Committee further finds that a state-administered paid family and medical leave program would benefit the State's workforce while reducing the financial burden for employers compared to a privately funded alternative. Your Committee believes this measure is an essential first step towards establishing a viable state-administered paid family and medical leave program, as the working group that would be established by this measure would recommend parameters for establishing and implementing such a program after reviewing any potential legal, logistical, and financial constraints.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

Including the directors of the central personnel agencies of the State, the City and County of Honolulu, the County of Hawaii, the County of Maui, the County of Kauai, the Judiciary, the Department of Education, the University of Hawaii, and the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, or their designees as members of the working group.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 179, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Legislative Management in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 179, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor,

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JACKSON D. SAYAMA, Chair