STAND. COM. REP. NO.  976

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   S.B. No. 532

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred S.B. No. 532, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BREASTFEEDING IN THE WORKPLACE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to require employers with at least 20 employees to provide a reasonable break time and clean, private place for breastfeeding employees to express breast milk, require covered employers to post notice of these requirements, and establish civil penalties for violation.

 

     The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Department of Health; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Hawai‘i Commission on the Status of Women; Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission; United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO; Breastfeeding Hawaii; Planned Parenthood of Hawaii; American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i; Hawai‘i State Democratic Women's Caucus; Hawai‘i Women's Coalition; Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii; and a concerned individual supported this measure.  A concerned individual opposed this measure.  The Hawaii Transportation Association and The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii provided comments.


     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Changing the maximum number of employees an employer may have to qualify for an exemption to an unspecified number;

 

(2)  Changing the fine for each violation from $1,000 to an unspecified amount;

 

(3)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2113, to encourage further discussion; and

 

(4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 532, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 532, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair