62
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                                
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                     HOUSE CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU TO COMPILE DATA ON
   THE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF EMPLOYEES OF PRIVATE COMPANIES
   ON CONTRACT WITH THE STATE WHO MAY BE AFFECTED BY THE
   IMPLEMENTATION OF A LIVING WAGE LAW.



 1       WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii, in an effort to maximize the
 2   State's limited resources, began the privatization of certain
 3   types of work associated with the upkeep and maintenance of its
 4   many facilities; and
 5   
 6       WHEREAS, currently, each state department or agency
 7   contracts out various work so that there is no one company
 8   providing services to the State; and
 9   
10       WHEREAS, companies that benefit from state contracts
11   awarded to them often pay their employees less than these
12   employees would be earning if they were working in the same
13   capacity as a state employee; and
14   
15       WHEREAS, many of these employees live below the poverty
16   line and receive welfare assistance to supplement their income;
17   and
18   
19       WHEREAS, cities across the United States, such as
20   Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Chicago, have instituted a living
21   wage law to lift employees working for companies contracted by
22   the government to the poverty line; and
23   
24       WHEREAS, a living wage law is defined as the rate of pay to
25   lift a family of four to the poverty line; and
26   
27       WHEREAS, studies completed in cities that have instituted a
28   living wage law indicate that a living wage law is beneficial
29   to those receiving it, while causing only a small increase in
30   the amount cities pay for contracts; and
31   
32       WHEREAS, currently the State of Hawaii does not compile
33   comprehensive data on the amount of contracts awarded to
34   private firms, nor the number of people that would be affected
35   by a living wage law; now, therefore,

 
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                                  H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1       BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
 2   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
 3   of 2000, the Senate concurring, that the Legislative Reference
 4   Bureau (LRB) is requested to:
 5   
 6       (1)  Compile data on the number and percentage of employees
 7            of private companies on contract with the State who
 8            may be affected by a living wage law; 
 9   
10       (2)  Contact the cities of Baltimore, Chicago, and Los
11            Angeles and request of them any and all pertinent
12            information relating to their experience with the
13            implementation of the living wage law; and 
14   
15       (3)  Submit proposed legislation for a living wage law for
16            employees of private companies on contract with the
17            State;
18   
19   and
20   
21       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the LRB submit the findings and
22   recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days
23   before the convening of the Regular Session of 2001; and
24   
25       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
26   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the
27   Director of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Director of
28   Finance, and the Acting Director of LRB.