RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES.

Labor

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: CHUN, POEPOE, SAYAMA
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the fine amounts, leaving that detail uncertain.

Paid Breaks for Workers

This bill requires employers to give workers a 10-minute paid break every four hours they work.

What This Bill Does

Requires employers to allow employees a 10-minute paid rest period for each four-hour work shift.
Counts the rest periods as time worked, so there is no deduction from wages.
Imposes fines on employers who do not provide these breaks.
Does not apply to workers covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Who It Names or Affects

Employers and employees in Hawaii

Terms To Know

Collective Bargaining Agreement: An agreement between employers and a union representing workers that sets terms of employment, including benefits like paid breaks.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the amount of fines for non-compliance.
It is unclear when this law will actually take effect as it currently has an unrealistic effective date (7/1/3000).
This legislation only applies to workers who are not covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment requires employers to give employees a paid rest period of at least ten minutes for every four hours worked, with penalties for non-compliance.

Employers must provide each employee a paid rest period of no less than ten consecutive minutes for every four hours worked.
If an employer fails to provide the required rest period, they must pay the employee one hour's worth of regular wages and be subject to a fine imposed by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

The exact amount of the fine for not providing the rest period is not specified in the amendment text.
The amendment does not specify when or how often employers must provide these rest periods, only that they should be 'insofar as practicable' in the middle of each work period.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-12 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with Representative(s) Matsumoto, Reyes Oda voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia, Kong, Muraoka, Pierick, Shimizu voting no (5) and Representative(s) Cochran, Sayama, Ward excused (3).
2025-02-12 H
Reported from LAB (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 482) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2025-02-06 H
The committee on LAB recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Sayama, Garrett, Kapela; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Lee, M., Reyes Oda; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Kong; and Excused: none.
2025-02-03 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by LAB on Thursday, 02-06-25 9:00AM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to LAB, FIN, referral sheet 2
2025-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-17 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES.
Employment Practices; Paid Rest Periods
Requires employers to authorize and permit employees a 10-minute paid rest period for every four hours worked. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB555

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

555

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to employment practices
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

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SECTION 1.
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Chapter 378, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

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�378-
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Paid rest periods.
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(a)
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Employers shall allow each employee a rest period consisting of not less
than ten consecutive minutes for each four hours of work time.
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Insofar as practicable, the rest period shall
be in the middle of each work period.
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Rest
periods under this paragraph shall be counted as time worked, for which there shall
be no deduction from wages.

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(b)
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Any employer that fails to allow an employee a
rest period under subsection (a) shall:

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(1)
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For each
workday that the rest period is not provided, pay that employee for not less
than one additional hour of work at the employee's regular rate of compensation;
and

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(2)
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Be subject to a
fine of $
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for each rest period that is not provided,
with each rest period counted on a per employee basis.
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The fine shall be imposed by the department
of labor and industrial relations.

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(c)
�
This section shall not apply to employees subject
to a collective bargaining agreement under chapter 89.

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(d)
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This section shall not be construed to prohibit
any employer from providing rest periods that are longer than ten consecutive
minutes or that occur more frequently than each four hours of work time."

����
SECTION
2.
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This Act does not affect rights and
duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were
begun before its effective date.

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SECTION 3.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

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SECTION 4.
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This Act shall take effect on January 1,
2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Employment
Practices; Paid Rest Periods

Description:

Requires
employers to provide employees with paid breaks.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.