STAND. COM. REP. NO. 311-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2466

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor and Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2466 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR THE STATE WORKERS' COMPENSATION PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate $4,993,726 in emergency funds for the state Workers' Compensation Program.

The Department of Human Resources Development (DHRD) testified in support of this bill.

Currently, the State Workers' Compensation Fund is depleted, unemployment insurance funds are too low to tap into, and DHRD is currently using operating funds to pay workers' compensation claims. Your Committee finds that this situation has been a problem in the past and that DHRD is currently working hard to reduce injuries in the workplace through prevention. However, your Committee finds that DHRD needs this emergency appropriation to be able to pay for current workers' compensation claims.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor and Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2466 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair