LEGISLATURE 2003 STATUS REPORT
Consumer protection/Labor

Advertiser Staff

Here are many of the major bills of the 2003 legislative session that cleared Friday's deadline to be written in their final form and positioned for voting by the Senate and House this week. Lawmakers will take final votes Tuesday and Thursday. The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on Thursday.

Bills that pass both houses will be sent to Gov. Linda Lingle for signature or veto. Lawmakers can override a veto by a two-thirds vote of each house.

Meal breaks
(HB 29 HD1 SD1 CD1)

Requires employers to provide employees with at least a 30-minute break for eight hours of work, unless a collective bargaining agreement otherwise contains a provision for employee meal breaks. The measure also exempts common carriers of passengers, power generating utilities, and operators of continuously operating facilities regulated by an environmental permit.

Child labor
(HB 1198 HD2 SD2)

Prohibits minors from working in adult entertainment; sets work restrictions for 14- and 15-year-olds, including prohibiting them from working more than six consecutive days, more than three hours on a school day and more than eight hours on a nonschool day. The restrictions do not apply to minors who work for their parents or guardians, who sell or distribute newspapers, are in domestic service or who work as golf caddies.

Family leave
(HB 389 HD2)

Requires employers who provide sick leave to allow employees to use up to 10 days of accrued and available sick leave for family leave purposes. Requires more if covered by collective bargaining contracts. The measure was sent to Gov. Linda Lingle.

Binding arbitration
(SB 768 SD1 HD2)

Reinstates binding arbitration for about 24,500 state and county public workers who belong to the Hawaii Government Employees Association and takes away their right to strike.

Drivers' licenses
(HB 324 HD1 SD1 CD1)

Enables a person who is ineligible to obtain a Social Security number to provide alternative documentation for a driver's license application.

Health insurance fraud
(SB 614 SD1 HD1 CD1)

Establishes civil penalties for insurance fraud. Grants immunity from civil liability for insurance fraud reporting, except in the case of malicious or perjurious reporting.

Telecommunications relay services
(SB 1306 HD1)

Authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to establish a surcharge to collect customer contributions for telecommunications relay services. Repeals the requirement that PUC expedite to the greatest extent possible, ratemaking for specialized services for the deaf, hearing impaired, or speech impaired. The measure was sent to Gov. Linda Lingle.

Cell phone ban

Prohibits the use of a hand-held cellular telephone while operating a motor vehicle on a public highway, except for emergency purposes. Allows for hands-free headsets.

Telephone solicitations

Prohibits phone solicitors from placing calls to residents who are registered on a no-call list. Establishes a Web site and database containing the no-call list.

Property condemnation

Restricts the eminent domain powers of the counties to ensure that private property, if acquired by a county through its eminent domain powers, is acquired only for public uses and not for private use.

Cremation facilities

Establishes regulations for crematoriums, including registration requirements establishing procedures for handling remains, securing authorization to cremate, and establishing limitations on liability of crematory.

Union contracts

Allows the University of Hawai'i, the counties and the state hospital system to negotiate their own labor contracts.

Employment practices

Prohibits an employer from including in an employment document as a condition of hiring, any provision interfering with the protected right of an employee to file a charge in an investigation or relinquish any right or protection.