STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2472

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 884

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 884, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILY LEAVE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize employees to take family leave to care for a sibling with a serious health condition.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and seven private individuals.  The Department of Human Resources Development submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee finds that employees are entitled to a total of four weeks of family leave during any calendar year upon the birth of a child of the employee, upon the adoption of a child, or to care for the employee's child, spouse or reciprocal beneficiary, or parent with a serious health condition.  However, taking family leave to care for a sibling is not a covered benefit.  By extending employees' authorization to take family leave to care for a sibling with a serious health condition, this measure exemplifies Hawaii's rich tradition of ohana and caring for family members.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to ensure further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 884, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 884, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair