STAND. COM. REP. NO. 55

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 717

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 717 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Repeal the prohibition placed on certain employees exempt from Civil Service Law from grieving a suspension or discharge; and

(2) Allow any employee who is a member of an appropriate bargaining unit to grieve a suspension or discharge.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Hawaii State AFL-CIO; and United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Resources of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that the significant increase in the number of state government positions that are exempt from Civil Service Law has left a greater number of employees effectively employed on an "at-will" basis, without a structured internal option to resolve grievances. Alternatively, just cause protection affords fair and reasonable job security to civil service employees and is a key attractor for many to state employment. The imbalance between these categories of employment and their respective protections fosters imbalance and instability in the workplace. By allowing for equitable access to a grievance process for all state employees, this measure will strengthen recruitment and retention efforts for state employment.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 717, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 717, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary.

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

________________________________

HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Chair