Hawaii Senate Bill SB343

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/15/25
• Refer: 1/21/25

Caption

RELATING TO HAZARD PAY.

Summary

SB343 would create a new Hawaii Revised Statutes section authorizing temporary hazard-pay differentials for public employees who are exposed to unusually hazardous working conditions. The bill allows the State director of human resources development, and the corresponding county personnel officials for Honolulu, Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai, to approve such pay upon recommendation of a department head, with county approvals also requiring civil service commission approval. The differential could not exceed 25% of the minimum rate of the salary range and would generally expire after six months, though it could be renewed in six-month increments. The bill is framed as a response to lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and the legislature’s view that many public employees, including first responders, health care workers, essential workers, teachers, educational officers, and University of Hawaii faculty, faced temporary hazards without equitable compensation. It also states that the measure is intended to restore a prior statutory approach to hazard pay that was repealed in 2000, and to make hazard pay available more broadly rather than depending solely on collective bargaining agreement language.

Impact

If enacted, SB343 would amend Chapter 78, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by adding a new hazard-pay authority for state and county public employees. It would give designated personnel officials discretion to grant temporary pay differentials for hazardous work, subject to limits on amount, duration, and availability of funds. The bill would affect state and county employment administration, civil service processes, and potentially collective bargaining dynamics by creating a statutory hazard-pay mechanism outside negotiated contract terms.

Sentiment

The bill’s stated purpose and framing suggest generally favorable sentiment toward recognizing and compensating public employees who worked under hazardous conditions, especially during the COVID-19 emergency. The legislative findings emphasize fairness, equity, dignity, and respect, indicating support for extending hazard pay more uniformly across public employee groups. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or amendment debate in the available materials.

Contention

The main point of contention identified in the bill text is the relationship between statutory hazard pay and collective bargaining agreements. The measure is presented as addressing an inequity where some employees received hazard pay through negotiated contract language while others in similar roles did not. Another likely issue is administrative and fiscal discretion: the bill makes hazard pay contingent on approval by personnel officials, civil service commissions for counties, and certification by fiscal officers that funds are available, which could limit or delay implementation. No specific opposing arguments are included in the provided record.