STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1250

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2021

 

RE:   H.R. No. 14

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Labor & Tourism, to which was referred H.R. No. 14 entitled:

 

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING A REVIEW OF THE EFFICACY OF THE TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to request that the Auditor conduct a review of the efficacy of the technology resources of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

 

     Your Committee finds that unemployment insurance applications submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic are being processed on a government mainframe computer system that was installed in the early 1980s and upgraded about five years ago.  Your Committee further finds that the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations has struggled to keep pace with the large increase in unemployment insurance claims over the course of the pandemic.  Your Committee believes that it would be prudent to request that the Auditor review the technology resources available to the Department and make recommendations to the Legislature on how the Department may improve its services to the public and the resources needed to implement those recommendations.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Amending the title to read, "REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A REVIEW OF THE EFFICACY OF THE TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS.";

 

     (2)  Clarifying that the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' mainframe computer system was upgraded about five years ago;

 

     (3)  Revising the estimated time frame for a long-term fix to the computer system to 2022, rather than 2021; and

 

     (4)  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 Labor & Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 14, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 14, H.D. 1.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Tourism,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

RICHARD H.K. ONISHI, Chair