Senate Committee backs amended HB 430 to expand state internship program, limit fingerprinting requirement

HONOLULU — The Senate Committee on Labor and Technology on March 14 recommended passing House Bill 430, House Draft 2, with amendments that loosen a fingerprinting requirement for interns, add a minimum GPA, and require placement reporting to a state intern registry.

The bill authorizes the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) to enter into contracts with eligible private employers and registered apprenticeship programs to provide on-the-job training for students and recent graduates. The draft adopted by the committee also specifies that the State will be the responsible employer for workers’ compensation coverage for participants in the program, subject to statutory limits and available funding.

The issue that drew the most detailed committee attention was a provision on background checks. Deputy Attorney General Lianne Yamashiro told the committee that the bill’s current cross-reference appeared to require fingerprinting and submission of records to the FBI and the Criminal Justice…