STAND. COM. REP. NO.  857

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 743

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 743, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYEES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to enhance a public employee's ability to be actively engaged in the education of the public employee's child.

 

     Specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Authorizes employees to take time off to attend a school-wide event directly related to a child's educational, cultural, or social development;

 

(2)  Increases the eligible leave time from two to three hours; and

 

(3)  Increases the number of events an employee may attend in a calendar year from two to three.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO and the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.  The Department of Human Resources Development submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

 

Your Committee finds that students with families that participate in and support the students' educational activities tend to perform better in school.  Increasing the number of events that a public employee may use paid leave to attend and increasing the duration of the leave will encourage parent participation in school activities and improve the academic performance of students.

 

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to encourage further discussion on the measure; and

 

(2)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments 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 H.B. No. 743, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 743, H.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair