Hawaii House Bill HB222

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/17/25
• Refer: 1/21/25
• Report Pass: 1/30/25
• Refer: 1/30/25
• Report Pass: 2/14/25
• Refer: 2/14/25

Caption

Relating To The Wage And Hour Law.

Summary

HB222 amends Hawaii’s wage and hour law by changing the statutory definition of “employee” in section 387-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes. The bill adds a new exemption for individuals who are “in agriculture and primarily engaged in the range production of livestock,” meaning those workers would be excluded from coverage under the state’s wage and hour law definition of employee. The measure is narrowly focused and does not rewrite the broader wage and hour framework; instead, it modifies one definitional provision that determines who is covered by minimum wage and overtime protections under chapter 387. The bill also includes a delayed effective date of July 1, 3000, which is far in the future and functionally postpones implementation unless changed by later legislation.

Impact

If enacted, HB222 would remove certain range livestock production workers from the scope of Hawaii’s wage and hour protections by excluding them from the definition of “employee” in section 387-1. That would affect whether those workers are entitled to state minimum wage and overtime coverage under chapter 387, while leaving the rest of the wage and hour statute intact. The bill specifically amends an existing list of exemptions, so its legal effect is limited to this agricultural category and related enforcement under the state labor code.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of committee testimony or recorded votes, the available record suggests a technical, targeted measure with no documented public controversy in the materials provided. The bill’s report title and description frame it as a narrow exemption for range livestock production, indicating a specialized policy change rather than a broad labor-law overhaul. Because no discussion transcripts or vote history are included, there is no evidence here of strong support or opposition, only the bill’s formal presentation as a definitional amendment.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the creation of a new wage-and-hour exemption for agricultural workers primarily engaged in range production of livestock. Supporters would likely view the change as aligning labor coverage with the realities of ranching and livestock range work, while opponents could argue it reduces wage and overtime protections for a class of workers. No specific legislators, agencies, worker groups, or industry representatives are identified in the provided materials, and no committee debate is available to show whether the issue was framed as an agricultural accommodation, a labor-rights rollback, or both.