STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1117

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 98
                                        H.D. 1
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which
was referred H.B. No. 98, H.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PENSIONERS' BONUS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to extend the Employees'
Retirement System (ERS) pensioners' bonus to July 1, 2001.

     The Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA), the
HSTA-Retired Organization, the Coalition of Hawaii State/Counties
Retirees, the Oahu Retired Teachers Association, and the Retirees
Unit of the Hawaii Government Employees Association submitted
testimony in support of this measure.  The ERS commented on this
measure.

     Your Committee has amended the measure by deleting the
provision that appropriates funds for the extension of the bonus.
Your Committee finds that the appropriation section is
unnecessary as the need for funding requirement will not occur
until fiscal year 2002.

     Your Committee finds that extending the pensioners' bonus to
July 1, 2001, will help retirees living on fixed incomes cope
with the rising costs of living in Hawaii.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1117
                                   Page 2


this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of H.B. No. 98, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends
that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B.
No. 98, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways
and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Commerce and
                                   Consumer Protection,



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN KANNO, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair

 
a                                                     HB98 SD1