STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1413-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: S.B. No. 2061
                                     S.D. 1
                                     H.D. 2




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No.
2061, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES
     AND EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to eliminate gender-based pay
discrimination by:

     (1)  Establishing a mandatory reporting and recordkeeping
          system of employment statistics pertaining to all
          permanent, full-time civil service employees; and

     (2)  Implementing a pilot fair pay project for civil service
          employees.

     Hawaii Women Lawyers and two individuals testified in
support of this measure.  The Hawaii State Commission on the
Status of Women and the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission testified
in support of the intent of the measure.  Comments were submitted
by the Department of Human Resources Development (DHRD).

     Your Committee has amended this bill by deleting its
contents and inserting the substantive provisions of S.B. No.
2061, S.D. 1, which assesses gender-based pay discrimination
among state employees and takes steps to eliminate such
discrimination, by:

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1413-00
                                 Page 2

 
     (1)  Requiring the Director of Human Resources Development
          to make and retain records to ascertain the existence
          of any discrimination in the wages paid to men and
          women for the same or equivalent jobs; and

     (2)  Establishing a pay equity task force to:

          (a)  Review any relevant information; and

          (b)  Make recommendations to the Legislature for funds
               and specific actions to correct any gender-based
               pay inequities.

     It is your Committee's understanding that the amended bill
reflects a mutual agreement reached by the parties affected by
this bill.  Your Committee notes that the affected parties
resolved their differences by agreeing to:

     (1)  Create an unpaid task force that would, among other
          things, review a prior consultant study done in 1995;
          and

     (2)  Commence a pay equity review of state positions.

Your Committee further notes that the bill requires DHRD to
retain records of positions, wages, and demographic
characteristics to determine whether there are unequal wages for
men and women performing the same type of jobs.

     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 S.B. No.
2061, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it
pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2061,
S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair