STAND. COM. REP. NO.  525

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 916

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Economic Development & Business Concerns, to which was referred H.B. No. 916 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is evaluate the usefulness of lifelong learning accounts in workforce development by authorizing the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) to establish a pilot program using these accounts to support retraining and education of workers in the State's health care sector.

     The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and Workforce Development Council supported this bill.  DBEDT supported the intent of this measure.

     Your Committee finds that the development of a highly skilled workforce is necessary if Hawaii is to stay competitive and continue to expand the higher-paying sectors of its economy.  Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Replacing the lifelong learning pilot program for healthcare workers in this bill with the more comprehensive program in H.B. No. 1280, which allows lifelong learning accounts to be established in any field of employment; and

     (2)  Inserting the Kama'aina Come Home Program from H.B. No. 1280, which will conduct a series of events in selected mainland United States cities to recruit former Hawaii residents with high-demand work skills back into jobs in Hawaii's economy.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development & Business Concerns that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 916, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 916, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development & Business Concerns,

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair