STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1189

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 916

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 916, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to continue to strengthen Hawaii's workforce by establishing the:

 

     (1)  Lifelong Learning Account Tax Credit (Credit) to encourage investment by employees and employers in the continuing education and enhancement of skills throughout a person's career;

 

     (2)  Lifelong Learning Accounts Program through which the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) will:

 

(A)  Encourage lower-income and lower-skilled employees to open and use a lifelong learning account (Account);

 

(B)  Encourage the establishment of Accounts in diverse geographic and economic areas and throughout a various range of businesses;

 

(C)  Provide technical assistance to businesses interested in Accounts;

 

(D)  Partially offset the contribution for low-income employees; and

 

(E)  Document the use and effectiveness of the Accounts;

 

     (3)  Kamaaina Come Home Program which coordinates state and county resources to encourage Hawaii residents to build their careers at home by:

 

(A)  Holding a series of events in select mainland cities to inform and recruit skilled kamaaina back to the state;

 

(B)  Developing a database to continuously track the residency of high school graduates who have left the state for the purposes of informing them of career opportunities at home in Hawaii; and

 

(C)  Enhancing the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Toursism's (DBEDT) "HIRENET" job search website to include specific information on Hawaii job opportunities for out-of-state kamaaina.

 

     The Governor, DLIR, DBEDT, Department of Taxation, and Workforce Development Council supported this bill.  The Tax Foundation of Hawaii submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Removing specific appropriation amounts;

 

(2)  Deleting specific tax credit limits;

 

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to facilitate further discussion; and

 

(4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 916, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 916, H.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair