STAND. COM. REP. NO.  297

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 855

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 855 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SERVICES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to clarify that penalties for noncompliance with workers' compensation requirements apply to vocational rehabilitation providers who do not timely provide all information required in an initial evaluation report.

 

     The Hawaii Insurers Council and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii supported this measure.  The International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals in the Private Sector, Vocational Management Consultants, and numerous concerned individuals opposed this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

 

     Your Committee recognizes that there are labor issues involved with this measure.  Should the Committee on Judiciary deliberate this measure further, your Committee on Human Services respectfully requests that the Committee consider requesting the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to provide testimony on this bill. 

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 855, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 855, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair