HB 2350 Summary

• Increases various civil and criminal penalties under Department of Labor and Industrial Relations jurisdiction to reflect Consumer Price Index adjustments, affecting sections 371-9, 378-29.3, 378-65, 383-73, 385-11, 386-27, 386-94, 386-97.5, 386-98, 387-7, 387-12, 388-52, 392-68, 392-69, 392-92, and 392-101 of Hawaii Revised Statutes.

• Raises maximum fines for willful violations of department rules from $250 to $500 (HRS §371-9 and §386-97.5) and increases criminal penalties for intentional violations from $1,000 to $2,500 with up to one year imprisonment (HRS §378-29.3).

• Increases civil fines for employer violations from $100-$1,000 to $250-$2,500 range for various labor statutes including wage and hour laws (HRS §378-29.3, §388-52) and occupational safety violations.

• Adjusts penalties for unemployment insurance and disability benefits fraud, including increasing administrative fines from $10,000 to $20,000 (HRS §386-98) and penalties for false statements from $20-$200 to $175-$1,750 (HRS §385-11).

• Takes effect upon approval; does not affect rights, duties, or penalties that matured or proceedings begun before the bill's effective date.