STAND. COM. REP. NO. 410

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1091

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Government Operations and Labor and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 1091 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REMOTE WORK ASSESSMENTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Comptroller to periodically assess telework‑eligible positions and notify all eligible employees of their eligibility to telework; and

(2) Require the Department of Human Resources Development and Office of Enterprise Technology Services to assist.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization and five individuals.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development and Department of Accounting and General Services.

Your Committees find that telework can be a cost-effective, climate-friendly option for many state agencies and their employees. Telework not only allows employers to save on overhead costs but also enables employees to spend less time and money on their commute. According to the State Government Employee Transportation Demand Management Study conducted by the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization in partnership with the Hawaii State Energy Office, there is high employee interest in telework and focus groups revealed that telework has improved performance, morale, and increased the desire to remain in their state job, signaling that telework may also act as a powerful recruitment and retention tool for public employment. This measure capitalizes on this interest by requiring the Comptroller, with assistance from the Department of Human Resources Development and Office of Enterprise Technology Services, to periodically assess telework‑eligible positions and notify all eligible employees of their telework eligibility.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing the word "position" with "allocation" throughout;

(2) Deleting all references to the Office of Enterprise Technology Services;

(3) Limiting the subject of the assessment and notification to state executive branch departments and agencies occupying space in facilities managed or leased by the Department of Accounting and General Services;

(4) Inserting a blank appropriation for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Management Analyst position within the Administrative Services Office of the Department of Accounting and General Services;

(5) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose;

(6) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2491, to encourage further discussion; and

(7) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Government Operations and Labor and Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1091, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1091, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Government Operations and Labor and Technology,

________________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Chair

________________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair