STAND. COM. REP. NO. 842

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 716

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 716, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAII EMPLOYMENT SECURITY LAW,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase efficiency and fairness of the Hawaii employment security law.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Repeals the requirement for unemployed individuals to make their work availability accessible online in order to qualify for unemployment benefits;

(2) Expands the circumstances for which the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations may waive the requirements for eligible individuals to register to work and report to an employment office;

(3) Requires notices of determinations and documentation relating to appeals to be sent electronically, unless the election for mail is made; and

(4) Allows an individual to change an elected withholding status more than once during a benefit year.

Your Committees received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and one individual.

Your Committees find that the amendments made by this measure will help to streamline the work registration process and reduce unemployment benefit claim delays and improper denials caused by claimants struggling to navigate the unemployment benefits claim system.

Your Committees have amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 716, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 716, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair