STAND. COM. REP. NO. 339

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     S.B. No. 1384

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Labor and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 1384 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Amend chapter 202, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to be consistent with the General Appropriations Act of 2021, Act 88, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021;

 

     (2)  Rename the "Hawaii Workforce Development Council" as the "Hawaii Workforce Development Board", and the "county workforce development board" as the "local workforce development board";

 

     (3)  Require the Hawaii Workforce Development Board (Board) and local workforce development boards to develop written conflict of interest policies consistent with federal laws and regulations;

 

     (4)  Require the Governor to select the chairperson of the Board from among the private sector members; and

 

     (5)  Repeal the requirement for the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) to submit an annual report to the Legislature on the activities of the K-12 Agriculture Workforce Development Pipeline Initiative.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

 

     Your Committee finds that not only does this measure align current statutes with federal regulations and requirements, but it also repeals the requirement for DLIR to submit an annual report to the Legislature on the activities of the K-12 Agriculture Workforce Development Pipeline Initiative, as the Initiative has not received any funding since fiscal year 2016-2017.  Your Committee notes that the General Appropriations Act of 2021 eliminated the program identification number (LBR-135) of the Hawaii Workforce Development Council and believes that the Hawaii Workforce Development Board should have its own program identification number or subprogram identification number.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting duplicative language codifying certain federal regulations regarding conflicts of interest into state law;

 

     (2)  Clarifying that the Board is administratively attached to DLIR;

 

     (3)  Requiring the Board to assist the Governor in coordinating with local workforce development boards to maximize and continue to improve the quality of service to develop a comprehensive and high-quality workforce development system;

 

     (4)  Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, 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 Labor and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1384, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1384, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

SHARON MORIWAKI, Chair