NFIB monitoring five bills of importance to small business

First Legislative Deadline Passes, Next One March 9

from NFIB Hawaii, Feb 20, 2023

The deadline for bills to move to their final committee in their originating chamber (House or Senate) came and went on February 16. Any bills that made it past this deadline now have until March 9 to complete their last committee hearing and the third reading in the originating chamber. Successful ones can then crossover to their non-originating chamber. The scheduled adjournment of the 2023 legislative session is May 4.

NFIB has singled out five bills for its lobbying efforts. They are:

SB 342 Paid Sick Leave
Requires employers to provide a minimum amount of paid sick leave to employees to be used to care for themselves or a family member who is ill or needs medical care and supplemental paid sick leave to employees under certain public health emergency conditions.

SB 360 Family Leave
Requires the department of labor and industrial relations to establish and administer a family leave insurance program. Provides family leave insurance benefits and extends the period of family leave to 16 weeks for businesses that employ one or more employees who meet the hourly qualifications. Eliminates the previous threshold of 100 employees for employers to be subject to the family leave law. Appropriates funds.

SB 1057 Employment Earnings
Requires job listings to include an hourly rate or salary range. Takes effect 7/1/2050. (SD1)

SB 1458 Waste Management
Establishes an Extended Producer Responsibility Program. Requires certain producers of fast-moving consumer goods to register with the Department of Health and pay an annual fee based on the amount of packaging volume the covered producer places on the market each calendar year. Provides for the deposit of fees into an Extended Producer Responsibility Special Fund. Provides for the expenditure of money from the Extended Producer Responsibility Special Fund for the creation of a report that assesses the resources needed to reduce the volume of packaging waste sent to landfills or power plants that burn municipal solid waste as a fuel by fifty percent and eighty percent by a date to be determined by rule. Appropriates funds.

SB 974 Consumer Data Protection
Establishes a framework to regulate controllers and processors with access to personal consumer data. Establishes penalties. Establishes a new consumer privacy special fund. Appropriates money.