STAND. COM. REP. NO.  591

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 918

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 918 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING FUND,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to permit the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to temporarily use employment and training fund moneys to administer, manage, report, and oversee Title I programs funded under the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998.

 

     The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and a private individual testified in support of this measure.

 

     Your Committee finds that programs funded under the federal Workforce Investment Act are primarily intended to help adults, dislocated workers, youth, and other target groups with relevant training programs and intensive job counseling services designed to help them become better prepared for new careers.  However, since 2011, the amount of funds that may be used to administer Workforce Investment Act programs has been reduced by sixty-seven per cent, while the State's responsibilities regarding program management, administration, reporting, and oversight have remained the same.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure provides temporary funding to assist the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations in fulfilling its federally mandated responsibilities to provide certain workforce training programs until a longer-term solution is derived.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2030, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity 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. 918, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 918, H.D. 1.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair