STAND. COM. REP. NO.413

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 780

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 780 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEMPORARY PARTIAL DISABILITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow injured employees, not currently receiving temporary partial disability (TPD) benefits to receive TPD benefits for the period of time spent during the treatments, including travel time to and from the medical treatment.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii State AFL-CIO and the ILWU Local 142.

Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that under existing law, weekly benefits are paid to the employee until the employee actually returns to work or is found able to work. If an employee returns to work with a temporary disability resulting in diminished earnings, the employee is entitled to TPD benefits. However, your Committee determines that employees who are not currently receiving TPD benefits, but who may require medical treatment for a work injury which cannot be obtained during non-working hours receive no such benefits.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 780 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing.

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

____________________________

BRIAN KANNO, Chair