CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO.96-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 2211

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

C.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2211, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DEFINITIONS FOR WORKERS' COMPENSATION,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this bill is to assist injured workers by deleting statutory language that unnecessarily prolongs the workers' compensation process.

Your Committee on Conference finds that the implementation of Act 11, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2005 (Act 11), had the unintended consequence of prolonging the workers' compensation claims and treatment process. Act 11 defined the terms "day" or "days" to mean working days rather than calendar days. This switch from calendar days to business days had the unintended consequence of delaying payment of claims or decisions on contested claims, often resulting in an injured worker waiting longer to receive treatment.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date from July 1, 2050, to July 1, 2006; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2211, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2211, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________

BRIAN KANNO, Chair

____________________________

KIRK CALDWELL, Co-Chair

____________________________

COLLEEN HANABUSA, Co-Chair

____________________________

ROBERT N. HERKES, Co-Chair

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair

____________________________

BOB NAKASONE, Co-Chair