THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

65

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE RESOLUTION

 

requesting personnel policy information from norwegian cruise line and an assessment of whether norwegian cruise line should pay transient accommodations and other state taxes.

 

WHEREAS, Norwegian Cruise Line has recently re-flagged one of its ships to sail under the United States flag; and

WHEREAS, Norwegian Cruise Line employs more than one thousand people in Hawaii and will soon employ many more with the crewing of its ship, the Pride of America; and

WHEREAS, these newly United States flagged ships will be operating exclusively in Hawaiian waters and, as such, should be subject to Hawaii law in the payment of taxes and obligated to respect the human rights laws of the State; and

WHEREAS, there have been questions raised about Norwegian Cruise Line's violation of the rights of employees who have been accused of sexual harassment and other unfair labor practices; and

WHEREAS, Norwegian Cruise Line ships, for all practical purposes, are floating hotels and, as such, should be treated as a hotel; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, that the Hawaii State Civil Rights Commission and the Hawaii Labor Relations Board are requested to obtain a written policy from Norwegian Cruise Line on the procedure that Norwegian Cruise Line follows when an employee has been accused of sexual harassment; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii State Civil Rights Commission and the Hawaii Labor Relations Board are also requested to obtain a written policy from Norwegian Cruise Line on what opportunities Norwegian Cruise Line provides to the accused to respond to accusations of sexual harassment, as well as any other issues the Hawaii State Civil Rights Commission and the Hawaii Labor Relations Board feel are relevant; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Taxation is requested to make an assessment as to whether Norwegian Cruise Line should pay taxes equivalent to those paid by Hawaii hotels and their employees, including but not limited to transient accommodations and income taxes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii State Civil Rights Commission, the Hawaii Labor Relations Board, and the Department of Taxation are requested to report their findings and recommendations to the Legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2006; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Hawaii State Civil Rights Commission, the Chairperson of the Hawaii Labor Relations Board, the Director of Taxation, and Norwegian Cruise Line.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Norwegian Cruise Line; Personnel Policies; Taxation Assessment