STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1334

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: S.B. No. 1345
                                     S.D. 2
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which
was referred S.B. No. 1345, S.D. 2, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION IN
     THE JUDICIARY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill as received by your Committee is to
provide for an increase in judicial salaries over two years, and
change the retirement provisions for judges entering or
reentering service after June 30, 1999.

     Testimony in support of this bill was received from the
Judiciary, the State Employees' Retirement System, the Hawaii
State Bar Association, the United Public Workers, the Hawaii
Government Employees Association, the Hawaii State Teachers
Association, and a few concerned individuals.

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii's judges have not had an
increase in salary since 1990.  Your Committee finds that
adequate and equitable compensation is required to attract and
retain experienced and qualified attorneys to serve as justices
and judges in state courts.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by deleting its
contents and replacing it with the contents of H.B. 20, H.D. 2,
which passed the House earlier this session.  As amended, this
bill:

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1334
                                 Page 2

 
     (1)  Increases judicial salaries by an unspecified amount on
          July 1, 1999, and on July 1, 2000;

     (2)  Eliminates the early retirement provision for judges,
          including the provision allowing judges to retire
          whenever the member's allowance reaches 75 percent of
          the member's average final compensation; and

     (3)  Ensuring that changes to the early retirement provision
          will not adversely affect the accrued rights of current
          judges as of June 30, 1999, and individuals who are or
          were members of the Employees' Retirement System and
          who accrued benefits as judges before July 1, 1999.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of S.B. No. 1345, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and
recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached
hereto as S.B. No. 1345, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the
Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Judiciary &
                                   Hawaiian Affairs,



                                   ______________________________
                                   PAUL T. OSHIRO, Chair