STAND. COM. REP. NO.  841

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1268

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1268, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to condition the receipt of vocational rehabilitation benefits under a public employer's workers' compensation coverage upon continued employment, including by requiring eligible injured public employees to take part in a Return To Work Priority Program as a prerequisite to receiving vocational rehabilitation benefits.  

 

     The Department of Education, Department of Human Resources Development, Department of Human Resources of the City and County of Honolulu, University of Hawaii, and Department of Human Resources of the County of Hawaii provided testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations provided comments on this measure.

 

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to facilitate further discussion; and

 

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of 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. 1268, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1268, H.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair