Requesting The Department Of Labor And Industrial Relations To Convene A Working Group To Develop Recommendations For Establishing And Implementing A Paid Family And Medical Leave Program For The State.
SR117 is a Senate resolution requesting the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) to convene a working group to develop recommendations for creating and implementing a statewide paid family and medical leave program. The resolution frames the issue as a workforce, caregiving, and equity concern, citing the limited access many Hawaii workers currently have to paid leave, the burden on family caregivers, and the potential benefits of wage replacement leave for workers, families, and employers. It also asks DLIR to conduct an actuarial study to assess the workforce, employers, beneficiaries, costs, and other implementation factors.
The working group would be tasked with examining legal and policy issues, including the interaction of any new program with federal law and existing Hawaii statutes such as the Family and Medical Leave Law and the Prepaid Health Care Act. It would also study how Temporary Disability Insurance could interface with or be expanded alongside paid family and medical leave, and then develop an implementation plan covering administration, staffing, outreach, contribution rates, projected costs, and timelines. The resolution sets a reporting deadline of no later than 20 days before the 2026 Regular Session and contemplates proposed legislation coming out of the study process.
SR117 does not itself create a paid family and medical leave program or amend existing statutes, but it initiates a formal policy-development process within DLIR. If carried out, the resolution could lead to future legislation affecting Hawaii’s labor and employment laws, including potential changes to chapter 398 (Hawaii Family Leave Law), chapter 393 (Prepaid Health Care Act), and the state’s Temporary Disability Insurance framework, as well as coordination with federal FMLA and ERISA considerations. Its immediate legal effect is to request studies, recommendations, and a legislative report rather than to impose new employer obligations.
The overall sentiment reflected in the resolution and its committee action is supportive of exploring paid family and medical leave. The measure passed the Senate Labor and Technology Committee 5-0 with amendments, indicating unanimous committee support at that stage. The bill’s findings emphasize caregiving burdens, workforce retention, and benefits for families and employers, suggesting a generally favorable posture toward developing a program.
The main points of contention are not resolved in the resolution itself but are identified as issues for the working group to study. These include how to finance a statewide program, whether and how to transition or integrate the existing private Temporary Disability Insurance market, how broad eligibility should be, and how to balance worker benefits with employer costs—especially for small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Another likely area of debate is the scope of coverage, including whether the program should apply to public and private workers, the self-employed, and how expansive the definition of family and qualifying leave reasons should be.