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SB1091
THE SENATE
S.B. NO.
1091
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating
to remote work assessmentS
.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
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SECTION 1.
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The
legislature finds that during the height of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic, many state employees were able to efficiently fulfill their work
duties from home.
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Current teleworking
arrangements, while limited, have demonstrated the continued capacity of state
employees to efficiently fulfill their work duties from home.
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Although the state currently offers telework
and hybrid work schedule options for state employees by executive order no.
23-0, many state departments have yet to widely adopt these practices.
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It is estimated that seventy-eight per cent
of employees do not telework at all, twelve per cent telework one to two days a
week, and only one per cent telework full-time, with most of the remainder
participating in a hybrid three-day telework program.
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While certain positions within the state
government may be incompatible with teleworking or hybrid work schedules, many
roles can benefit from teleworking as a strategy to meet multiple state
goals.
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Currently, the department of
human resources development has a teleworking policy, an employee teleworking
agreement, telework guidelines, and online telework training.
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The legislature further finds that the 2023
decarbonization report by the Hawaii state energy office emphasized that
reducing ground transportation emissions is heavily dependent on both the
switch to electric vehicles as well as the reduction of vehicle miles
traveled.
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Additionally, one of the
department of transportation's goals as stated by the Hawaii state
transportation plan is to protect and enhance natural and cultural resources
and reduce climate impacts by implementing initiatives to reduce fossil fuel
consumption, mitigate greenhouse gases, and improve air quality.
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The Maryland department of transportation,
through the implementation of its telework assistance program, collectively
reduced over twenty‑four thousand daily vehicle trips and over 489,000
daily vehicle miles traveled between 2020 and 2023.
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The legislature finds that Act 219, Session
Law of Hawaii 2021, was enacted to build on the success of teleworking during
the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which mandates a ten percent reduction in
state government office space by July 1, 2026.
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The 2023 progress report on the implementation of Act 219 by the
department of accounting and general services noted that as of December 2023,
there had only been a 4.3 per cent reduction in the total square footage of
offices in leased space.
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Teleworking can
further reduce the need for office space for the department to meet its
mandate.
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State departments like the
department of health have offered teleworking opportunities to their employees
on Maui and Hawaii islands and were able to downsize their office spaces.
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The legislature also finds that the 2023
vacancy report by the department of human resources development identifies that
employees are changing positions or leaving state service at a faster rate than
job vacancies can be filled, causing the vacancy rate to increase.
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As of November 2023, the vacancy rate for
state government positions has climbed to twenty-seven per cent, with over four
thousand six hundred vacancies, and thirty per cent of the workforce eligible to
retire by 2028.
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Focus groups conducted in July and August
of 2024 by the Oahu metropolitan planning organization with state government
employees revealed that telework has improved performance, increased the desire
to remain in their state job, and improved morale.
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Further, eighty-six per cent of responding
focus group participants indicated that having the ability to telework makes or
would make them more likely to stay in their state job.
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However, barriers to telework adoption were
identified.
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These included long probation
periods (up to six months) before new employees could qualify for teleworking,
the need for employer‑provided equipment such as laptops, and a lack of
willingness by department leadership to allow employees to telework.
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Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to
require the comptroller to periodically assess telework-eligible positions and
notify all eligible employees of their telework eligibility.
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SECTION
2
.
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Section 40-14, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
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(a)
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For
state agencies occupying space in facilities managed by the department of
accounting and general services or in non-state facilities, the comptroller
shall:
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(1)
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Assess and determine office space
requirements;
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(2)
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Initiate
or cancel leases upon the determination of each agency's requirements;
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(3)
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Renegotiate
existing leases;
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(4)
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Authorize
office space allocation; [
and
]
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(5)
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Determine
infrastructure requirements to allow employees to telework[
.
]
; and
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(6)
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No
later than June 30 of every even-numbered year:
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(A)
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In coordination with the department of human resources
development and office of enterprise technology services, complete an
assessment of telework-eligible positions; and
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(B)
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Notify all employees of their eligibility to telework.
"
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SECTION 3.
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No later than June 30, 2026, the comptroller shall complete the first assessment
and notification required under section 40-14(a)(6), Hawaii Revised Statutes.
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SECTION 4.
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Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.
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New statutory material is underscored.
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SECTION 5.
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This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
Department of Accounting and General Services;
Comptroller; Telework; Assessment; DHRD; OETS
Description:
Requires
the Comptroller to periodically assess telework‑eligible positions and
notify all eligible employees of their eligibility to telework.
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Requires the Department of Human Resources Development
and Office of Enterprise Technology Services to assist.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.