Senate advances defense-focused workforce bill after DLIR details internships, asks for reporting

Senators voted to advance SB1503, a bill directing the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to develop workforce training, public–private partnerships and recruitment strategies for defense-related employment, after a briefing on program history and expected uses of a proposed $1 million appropriation.

A DLIR representative told the committee the state’s internship program supporting defense-related placements has served “over the 2 year period over 600 individuals” and that about 62 of those interns were later hired by departments. The DLIR also said the program’s annual budget was “for about 4,000,000” and that interns are paid about $20 an hour on average; the department said it would provide more precise capacity and cost estimates if the committee requested them.

Committee members asked how the proposed $1,000,000 appropriation would be spent. DLIR said the funds would likely cover participant training costs and department overhead. Senators also asked for program evaluation data; DLIR said it had tracking mechanisms to report placements and would provide outcomes tied to any new appropriation.

After questions, the committee moved SB1503 as a Senate Draft 1 with technical amendments. The committee report will place the appropriation language in the report, require reports 20 days prior to the 2027 session and every other year thereafter, and include a defective-date placeholder (07/01/2050) in the draft. Supporters at the hearing included the Hawaii Military First Council and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, which testified in support of strengthening the local defense workforce pipeline.