STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1727

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   S.B. No. 695

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 695, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to protect the health and welfare of injured workers by ensuring that injured employees receive uninterrupted medical care, even when disputes arise over whether treatment should be continued.

 

     The ILWU Local 142 and the Iron Workers Stabilization Fund supported this bill.  The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Human Resources Development, Hawaii Insurers Council, Retail Merchants of Hawaii, Hawaiian Electric Co. Inc., Maui Electric Company LTD., Hawaii Electric Light Company Inc., Building Industry Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Independent Insurance Agents Association, National Federation of Independent Businesses in Hawaii, and Society for Human Resources Management Hawaii opposed this measure.  The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and Hawaii Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association and a concerned individual submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

 

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 695, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 695, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair