Advocating for Business
Chamber Monitors Conference Priority Bills
This week marks the beginning of the conference committee process. The Chamber is continuing to monitor a number of bills that we either support or have concerns about that have made it through to conference. Our team remains engaged with lawmakers during this process and we encourage our members to continue to write to their lawmakers during the conference process.
A few of the bills that we are monitoring include:
Minimum Wage Bills
- HB 1191 – Provides an income tax credit for small businesses to offset the cost the increase on minimum wage increase would have on employers. Increases the minimum wage to $12/hr. in 2020 and then to $15/hr. in 2023. Establishes a minimum wage of $17/hr. for any person employed in a full-time position with the State of Hawaii beginning upon approval of the Act.
- SB 789 – Changes the minimum wage rate annually from 1/1/2020 to 1/1/2024. Provides a lower rate for employees who receive employer sponsored health benefits under the Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act. Includes persons with disabilities under generally applicable minimum wage requirements.
- Previous versions of this bill had the rates as $11 to $15 and $10.50 to $12.50 for each tier.
Equal Pay
HB 1192 – This bill would conform statutory prohibitions against wage discrimination with other prohibitions on employment discrimination and clarifies allowable justifications for compensation differentials and remedies for pay disparity. It would also require employers to disclose wage ranges to employees and prospective employees.
Manufacturing Assistance
HB 340 – Appropriates funds to the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation for the Small Business Innovation Research Program and Manufacturing Assistance Program.
Plastic Packaging
SB 522 – Creates the plastic source reduction working group to make recommendations for eliminating single-use plastic packaging. Establishes the Solid Waste Prevention Coordinator in the Department of Health.
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