STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Honolulu, Hawaii
APR 0 2 2025
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 STTVNDING COMMITTEE
ON LABOR AND TECHNOLOGY AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDING
COMMITTEE ON LABOR TO CONVENE A LEGISLATIVE WORKING GROUP TO
DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ESTABLISHING TkND 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 Hawai‘i County Council; Holomua
Collaborative; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME
Local 152, AFL-CIO; Hawai‘i 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 Hawai‘i; Parents and Children Together;
Hawaii State AFL-CIO; Hawai‘i Nurses' Association - OPEIU Local 50;
Hawai‘i Family Caregiver Coalition; Democratic Party of Hawai‘i
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Education Caucus; Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; Hawai‘i State
Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Hawai‘i Public Health
Institute; Imua Alliance; Indivisible Hawai‘i; Wainiha Country
Market Inc; Aloha United Way; AAUW Hawaii; Pride at Work-Hawai ‘i ;
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;
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(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;
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REP. NO. is-ft
(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,
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 The Senate
Thirty-Third Legislature
State of Hawaii
Record of Votes
Committee on Labor and Technology
LBT
Bill / Resolution No.:* Committee Referral: Date:
The Committee is reconsidering its previous decision on this measure.
If so, then the previous decision was to:___________________________________
The Recommendation is:
Pass, unamended Pass, with amendments __ Hold __ Recommit
2312 ' 2311 2310 2313
Members Aye Aye (WR) Nay Excused
AQUINO, Henry J.C. (C) X
LEE, Chris (VC) X
IHARA, Jr., Les
MORIWAKI, Sharon Y.
FEVELLA, Kurt
TOTAL 5-
Recommendation:
M Adopted __ Not Adopted
Chair's or Designee’s Signature:
Distribution: Original Yellow Pink Goldenrod
File with Committee Report Clerk's Office Drafting Agency Committee File Copy
*Only one measure per Record of Votes
Revised; 12/09/24