HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	76
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting the Department of Labor and Industrial relations to examine wwoofing in Hawaii, REVIEW RELEVANT hawaii labor laws, and make recommendations on how to protect these workers.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, there exists a loose network of national organizations that facilitate placement of volunteers on organic farms, commonly known as "WWOOFing", which can stand for either World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms or Willing Workers on Organic Farms; and

 

     WHEREAS, there are several organizations that advertise on college campuses across the United States and other outlets to recruit young students to work on organic farms in exchange for room and board; and

 

     WHEREAS, once WWOOFers arrive at their host farms, they can be exposed to dangerous conditions such as cramped boarding accommodations that may not meet public health standards, extended working hours, inadequate or nonexistent bathroom facilities, drug use, and sexual assault; and

 

     WHEREAS, WWOOFing has become popular in Hawaii and some WWOOFers find themselves stuck in the State, often in poverty, after completing their agreed-upon time on the farm; and

 

     WHEREAS, presently, there are no rules or regulations in place for these WWOOFing exchange programs; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Legislature believes there is a need to evaluate these placements to determine if regulations, such as certification, permitting, or registration, would reduce the risks associated with WWOOFing in Hawaii; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2017, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature requests the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to examine WWOOFing in Hawaii, review relevant Hawaii labor laws, and make recommendations on how to protect these workers; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations submit a report on the prevalence of WWOOFing in the State, whether any safeguards should be established to protect persons participating in WWOOFing in the State, and include proposed legislation, if any, to the Legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2018 Regular Session; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Labor Laws; WWOOFing