STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1548

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 117

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.R. No. 117 entitled:

"SENATE 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 and intent 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 Office of Wellness and Resilience; Executive Office on Aging; one member of the Hawaiʻi County Council; Holomua Collaborative; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO; Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!; Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women; Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi; Parents and Children Together; Hawaii State AFL-CIO; Hawaiʻi Nurses' Association – OPEIU Local 50; Hawaiʻi Family Caregiver Coalition; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute; Imua Alliance; Indivisible Hawaiʻi; Wainiha Country Market Inc; Aloha United Way; AAUW Hawaii; Pride at Work‑Hawaiʻi; and thirty-nine individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Human Resources Development, Legislative Reference Bureau, University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, Maui Chamber of Commerce, and Society of Human Resources Management – Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that paid family and medical leave programs demonstrably improve quality of life for workers and their families and increase recruitment and retention rates for employers. However, existing laws do not require non-federal employers to provide paid family and medical leave benefits to their employees. Your Committee further finds that most small businesses in the State cannot finance a privately-funded paid family and medical leave program, and therefore, only one in four private sector employees in the State have access to paid family and medical leave benefits. Your Committee believes that establishment of a state-administered paid family and medical leave program would benefit the State's workforce while reducing the financial burden on the employers, compared to a privately‑funded alternative. This measure will allow the Legislature to make an informed decision on how best to establish and implement a paid family and medical leave program for all workers in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requesting the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, rather than the Senate Standing Committee on Labor and Technology and House of Representatives Standing Committee on Labor, to convene the working group;

(2) Inserting language requesting the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to conduct an actuarial study of the State's workforce, employers, potential beneficiaries, and other elements necessary to implement a paid family and medical leave program;

(3) Inserting language requesting the working group to review the impacts of federal and state laws, including the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974; federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993; Prepaid Health Care Act, codified at chapter 393, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and Hawaii Family Leave Law, codified at chapter 398, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and any relevant programs, on the establishment of a paid family and medical leave program;

(4) Inserting language requesting the working group to consider the findings of the actuarial study conducted by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations in developing an implementation plan for a paid family and medical leave program;

(5) Inserting language requesting the working group to review, in addition to those specified in this measure, any other relevant subject matter item the working group deems necessary to fulfill its purpose;

(6) Inserting language requesting that the working group include as members to be invited by its chairperson:

(A) A representative from the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly; and

(B) Any other individual whom the chairperson deems necessary or to have relevant experience, knowledge, or expertise;

(7) Deleting language that would have requested the working group to utilize the Legislative Reference Bureau to assist in the performance of its duties;

(8) Inserting language requesting the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to contract with independent consultants and administrative facilitators to support and assist the working group and Department of Labor and Industrial Relations in performing the duties requested in this measure;

(9) Amending its title accordingly; and

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

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 117, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 117, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Chair