STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2933

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1849

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 1849, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HIRING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a three-year reclassification and recruitment pilot program within the Department of Human Resources Development to expedite the recruitment and hiring process for positions that require a higher education degree or other expertise.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation; Department of Human Resources Development; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO.

 

     Your Committee finds that the state workforce is aging and the needs of the state workforce have far out-paced the State's ability to adequately create and fill positions.  Efforts to streamline the recruiting process have made progress but cannot keep pace with the current and projected increase in retirements.  Implementation of this measure will allow the State to efficiently hire individuals for critical-to-fill and labor shortage positions through an active recruitment and placement process.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Establishing that the purpose of the reclassification and recruitment pilot program is to expedite the recruitment and hiring process for critical-to-fill and labor shortage positions, rather than for positions that require a higher education degree or other expertise;

 

     (2)  Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose;

 

     (3)  Authorizing and appropriating funds for the Department of Human Resources Development to hire an unspecified number of full-time recruitment and reclassification specialists, rather than five full-time recruitment and reclassification specialists;

 

     (4)  Inserting an effective date of January 7, 2059, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1849, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1849, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

 

 

 

________________________________

GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair