THE SENATE S.R. NO. 37 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 STATE OF HAWAII 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.
THE SENATE S.R. NO. 37
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
THE SENATE
S.R. NO.
37
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
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. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: DHRD; DLIR; Boiler and Elevator Inspection Branch; Comprehensive Review; Report
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.
OFFERED BY: _____________________________
OFFERED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
DHRD; DLIR; Boiler and Elevator Inspection Branch; Comprehensive Review; Report