HI HR146

Urges the Governor to use federal CARES Act funds or other suitable federal COVID-19 relief funds to hire temporary eighty-nine-day workers for the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Addresses the State's inability to process unemployment claims since the COVID-19 pandemic began in February 2020, when the unemployment rate reached 24 percent in April 2020.

Notes that a call center established at the Hawaii Convention Center in April 2020 receives approximately 150,000 calls per day and is staffed by about 100 call agents and 75 adjudicators, supplemented by private company staff.

Identifies the ongoing backlog of unemployment claims processing despite efforts to handle 30,000 extension requests per week as of February 2021.

Directs transmission of certified copies to the Governor and the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations.