STAND. COM. REP. NO.2625

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2120

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2120, S.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 allow payment of temporary partial disability benefits to an injured employee who returns to work, but requires treatment not obtainable before or after work hours. The bill provides that the employee with a work related injury is entitled to temporary partial disability benefits for the time off from the job that is required to receive treatment.

Your Committee finds that employees who have sustained an injury at work may need medical treatment even after they return to work. However, treatment is often not available before or after work, and getting treatment during working hours presents financial difficulties for an employee because the time out of the office generally does not qualify for temporary total or temporary partial disability benefits or sick leave benefits. Allowing employees to receive temporary partial disability benefits for time out of the office for medical treatment will encourage employees to obtain the appropriate medical treatment that will help maintain good health and enable them to remain in the workplace as productive employees.

Your Committee has amended this bill to clarify that the temporary partial disability benefits to which an employee is entitled if the employee obtains medical care not available before or after working hours are subject to the same limitations on weekly benefit rates prescribed in section 386-31, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for temporary total disability benefits.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2120, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2120, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair