STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1236

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   S.B. No. 614

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred S.B. No. 614, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILY LEAVE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to assist military families in addressing their employment needs when a family member is deployed on military duty by expanding the provisions of family leave to include addressing family care, legal, and financial issues directly related to or resulting from the impending military deployment or active military deployment of the employee's child, spouse, reciprocal beneficiary, or parent.

 

     The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Defense, and Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii supported the intent of this bill.  The Department of Human Resources Development opposed this measure.

 

     Many Hawaii families have been faced with a family member being deployed overseas to serve on active military duty, especially to serve in the ongoing war on terrorism.  During these difficult times, it is important that members of the armed services and their families receive strong familial support to deal with the resultant extreme stresses of an active deployment.  The family leave relief provided by this measure will assist family members in facing these burdens.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2009; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 614, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 614, H.D. 2.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

 

 

		____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair