STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2496

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2341

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Human Services and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2341 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to prohibit employers from discriminating against an employee or applicant for employment based upon the employee or the applicant's status as a victim of domestic violence.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of Maui County, the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Women Helping Women, and five individuals.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Bar Owners Association.  Written testimony presented to the Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committees find that victims of domestic violence face many adversities including being discriminated against in their workplace.  Persons victimized by domestic violence come from all walks of life, socio-economic levels, and educational backgrounds.  Your Committees find that it is important to the recovery and healing process to ensure that these persons are able to find employment and maintain stability of employment to sustain themselves and their families.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by defining "domestic abuse victim status" as requested by the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission.

 

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2341, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2341, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Labor,

 

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair