SR 37: Requesting the department of human resources development to conduct a comprehensive review of the boiler and elevator inspection branch to increase PERSONNEL recruitment and retention.

SENATE RESOLUTION

Requesting the department of human resources development to conduct a comprehensive review of the boiler and elevator inspection branch to increase PERSONNEL recruitment and retention.

     WHEREAS, the Department of Human Resources Development provides timely and responsive leadership, resources, and services to fully support the state executive branch in the recruitment, management, and retention of a high-performing workforce; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Human Resources Development's mission is to recruit and retain "the best and the brightest" employees so the state government may deliver efficient and effective services to the public; and

     WHEREAS, among those essential services is the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' oversight and inspection of pressure retaining items, such as boilers, pressure vessels, pressure systems, amusement rides, elevators, and kindred equipment, to ensure their safe operation, which is conducted by the Department's Boiler and Elevator Inspection Branch of the Occupational Safety and Health Division; and

     WHEREAS, sufficient and qualified staffing for the Boiler and Elevator Inspection Branch is therefore essential to the safe operation of the equipment the Branch regulates and, by extension, public safety; and

     WHEREAS, however, the Branch is currently staffed by only nineteen authorized positions following a 2021 cut to their ranks; and

     WHEREAS, this limited workforce has contributed to the growing backlog of inspections, which are required annually for most elevators; and

     WHEREAS, according to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, of the 10,057 elevators that required inspection in 2024, only 2,619 were serviced, creating a backlog of 7,438, or nearly seventy-four percent; and

     WHEREAS, backlogs cause public safety concerns for existing building inventory and costly delays for economically important new construction projects; and

     WHEREAS, salary scales may also require adjustment to expand the workforce and address the backlog, as an entry-level Elevator Inspector I position within the Branch pays $20,000 to $40,000 less annually than its private sector counterpart; and

     WHEREAS, a comparative analysis of the operations and staffing of the State's Boiler and Elevator Inspection Branch and similar regulatory branches in other states may offer valuable insights for resolving this pay gap and improving the efficacy of the Branch; and

     WHEREAS, given the proliferation of boilers and elevators in the State and the specialized knowledge required for their safe upkeep, it is in the best interest of the State to ensure the Boiler and Elevator Inspection Branch is operating at its optimal capacity; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Human Resources Development is requested to conduct a comprehensive review of the Boiler and Elevator Inspection Branch to increase personnel recruitment and retention; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Human Resources Development is requested to include in its comprehensive review a comparative analysis of similar regulatory branches in other states, including California, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada, to identify best practices and potential areas for improvement; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the comprehensive review is requested to include, but not be limited to, an assessment of the following within the Boiler and Elevator Inspection Branch:

     (1)  The current organizational composition and its effectiveness in meeting its responsibilities;

     (2)  The current personnel requirements, including the number of inspectors, their qualifications, and their workloads;

     (3)  The current salary scales for inspectors and other personnel and the competitiveness of these salary scales compared to similar positions in other states and the in-state private sector;

     (4)  The identification of any potential deficiencies in the current organizational composition, classifications, personnel requirements, or salary scales; and

     (5)  Recommendations for human resources-related improvements to enhance efficiency and efficacy; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Human Resources Development is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than December 31, 2025; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Human Resources Development, Director of Labor and Industrial Relations, and Chief Boiler Inspector of the Boiler and Elevator Inspection Branch.

Report Title: 

DHRD; DLIR; Boiler and Elevator Inspection Branch; Comprehensive Review; Report

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1425

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 37

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor and Technology, to which was referred S.R. No. 37 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE BOILER AND ELEVATOR INSPECTION BRANCH TO INCREASE PERSONNEL RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Human Resources Development to conduct a comprehensive review of the Boiler and Elevator Inspection Branch to increase personnel recruitment and retention.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and National Elevator Industry, Inc.

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development.

     Your Committee finds that a lack of qualified elevator inspectors in the State is negatively impacting local private businesses and the regulatory work of the Boiler and Elevator Inspection Branch of the Occupational Safety and Health Division of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.  The Branch struggles to recruit and retain qualified personnel due to outdated hiring practices and significant pay differentials with the private sector.  Due to the staffing shortage, the Branch has been forced to adopt a triage-style approach to inspections that prioritizes new construction but fails to stem the growing backlog of uninspected elevators.  The inspection backlog exacerbates construction delays, increases costs, and risks public safety.  This measure will address the backlog by examining solutions to its root cause:  the Boiler and Elevator Inspection Branch's staffing shortage.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 37 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor and Technology,