THE SENATE

THE TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2007

 

COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY AND LABOR

Senator Clayton Hee, Chair

Senator Russell S. Kokubun, Vice Chair

 

NOTICE OF HEARING

 

 

DATE:

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

TIME:

10:00 a.m.

PLACE:

Conference Room 229

State Capitol

415 South Beretania Street

 

A G E N D A

 

SB 1828

RELATING TO THE CRIME VICTIM COMPENSATION COMMISSION.

Exempts existing and new employees of the Commission for Crime Victim Compensation from civil service law as established in chapter 76.

 

JDL

SB 1284

RELATING TO THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

Authorizes the Board of Trustees of the Employees' Retirement System to set the salary scale assumptions based on recommendations from the actuary.  Increase the employers' contributions to the Employees' Retirement System; bans benefit enhancements until the Employees' Retirement System becomes fully funded; and repeals the provision that allows the employer contribution rate to be reduced if the period required to amortize the unfunded actuarial liability falls below twenty-five years.

 

JDL, WAM

SB 1377

RELATING TO THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

Allows payment of interest to Noncontributory members who have ERS deductions erroneously made from their compensation.  Excludes a "foster child" from being eligible for ERS death benefits if the member dies in service.  Allows the ERS Board to set the Chief Investment Officer's salary.  Requires excess contributions to be refunded upon retirement, termination or death for judges, legislative officers and elected officials if their retirement allowance exceeds the statutory cap of 75%.  Clarifies that Hybrid Plan member contributions that are picked up by the employer are subject to the annual federal income tax limits.  Allows post retirement allowances to be paid to beneficiaries who select a monthly annuity instead of the lump sum balance or other clarifying or conforming revisions.

 

JDL, WAM

SB 1378

RELATING TO THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

Allows elective officers to exercise their option to join the ERS at any time during their term of office and also allow elective officers and judges to withdraw from ERS membership while remaining in office.  Repeals the provisions that make ERS membership by elective officers optional and replaces those provisions with a new section that requires elective officers to exercise a one-time irrevocable option to join the ERS when they are elected for the first time (or, in the case of existing office holders, by February 1, 2008).  Sets forth the circumstances under which retirees may return to service as elective officers without suspension of retirement benefits.  Repeals the provision that allows elective officers and judges who have reached the statutory cap on retirement benefits to withdraw from ERS membership by nominally retiring even though they remain in office.

 

 

JDL, WAM

SB 1380

RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND.

Provides an appropriate, cost-neutral adjustment of the base monthly contributions for retiree benefit plans, in the event the EUTF Board of Trustees adopts a revised rate structure for its retiree benefit plans.

 

JDL, WAM

SB 1451

RELATING TO THE STATE OF HAWAII DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLANS.

Clarifies that the Board of Trustees of the State of Hawai`i Deferred Compensation Plan and the State Deferred Compensation Retirement Plan for Part-time, Temporary, and Seasonal or Casual Employees may select and offer participants investment products that are commonly offered in the securities industry or other deferred compensation plans and are determined to the reasonable, prudent investment products.

 

JDL, WAM

SB 16

RELATING TO THE HAWAII CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE ACTION PLAN.

Appropriates $30,000 to the Department of Labor for a grant-in-aid to the Hawai`i Institute for Public Affairs (HIPA) to implement the Hawai`i Construction Workforce Action Plan; requires a dollar-for-dollar private sector match.

 

JDL, WAM

SB 609

RELATING TO LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS.

Creates an advisory group to recommend to the Legislature  improvements to the administration of the employment and training fund.  Provides for transfer of reverted revenues to the Employment and Training fund.

 

JDL, WAM


 

SB 963

RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT SECURITY.

Provides temporary tax relief to employers by lowering the maximum taxable wage base for calendar years 2008 and 2009.  Increases unemployment benefits for eligible individuals.  Excludes the payment of benefits to individuals terminated from employment for wilful or wanton misconduct.

 

JDL, WAM

SB 1058

RELATING TO A LIVING WAGE FOR WORKERS ON SERVICE CONTRACTS.

Reduces the threshold for service contract worker wage provisions from $25,000 to $5,000; requires wages to be based on United States poverty guidelines for Hawaii; requires enforcement by the Department of Labor And Industrial Relations; extends additional rights to service contract employees.

 

JDL, WAM

SB 1106

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE STATE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN.

Appropriates moneys for the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women for programming, travel, and office expenses.

 

JDL, WAM

SB 1608

RELATING TO PERMANENT STAFFING.

Authorizes the respective houses of the Legislature to adjust employee benefits and privileges by rule of the respective houses.

 

JDL, WAM

SB 1833

RELATING TO FAMILY LEAVE.

Allows an employee to elect to use accrued paid leave, including vacation, personal, or family leave, for any part of the four-week period of family leave provided under the law.

 

JDL, WAM

SB 1926

RELATING TO WHISTLEBLOWERS' PROTECTION.

Provides additional protection to public employees who report violations of the law, waste, and gross misconduct, incompetence, or inefficiency; expands the State Ombudsman's responsibilities regarding whistleblowers; and appropriates funds.

 

JDL, WAM

SB 1950

RELATING TO THE RE-EMPLOYMENT OF RETIREES.

Authorizes the rehiring of retired State or County employees in critical-to-fill or labor shortage positions without affecting the receipt of retirement benefits and without accruing additional credit or benefits.

 

JDL, WAM

 

Decision Making to follow, if time permits.

 

Persons wishing to testify should submit 40 3-hole punched copies of their testimony to the committee clerk, Room 227, State Capitol, 24 hours prior to the hearing.  Testimony may also be faxed if less than 5 pages in length, to the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Office at 586-6659 or 1-800-586-6659 (toll free for neighbor islands), at least 24 hours prior to the hearing.  In addition testimony may be emailed to the Public Access room at testimony@capitol.hawaii.gov.  When faxing, please indicate to whom the testimony is being submitted, the date and time of the hearing, and the required number of copies needed for submittal.

 

If you require special assistance or auxiliary aids or services to participate in the public hearing process (i.e., sign language interpreter, wheelchair accessibility, or parking designated for the disabled) please contact the committee clerk 24 hours prior to the hearing so arrangements can be made.

 

Public Folder.  A folder labeled “Public Folder” containing the measures and testimonies for the hearing will be available for shared use by members of the public.

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT 586-6911.

 

 

 

 

 

________________________________________

Senator Clayton Hee

Chair