STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2922

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 2445
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which
was referred H.B. No. 2445 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES HEALTH
     FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to permit the Public
Employees Health Fund to return the employees' share of insurance
carrier refunds to beneficiaries based on their years of benefit
plan participation.

     The Hawaii Public Employees Health Fund, the United Public
Workers, and the Hawaii Government Employees Association,
testified in support of the measure.  The Hawaii State Teachers
Association testified in opposition to the measure.

     Your Committee has amended the measure by:

     (1)  Adding provisions that, for a limited time, enable
          qualified surviving spouses of deceased employee-
          beneficiaries of the Public Employees Health Fund who
          were vested contributory members of the Employees'
          Retirement System to obtain health benefits;

     (2)  Changing the effective date of the measure to July 1,
          2020, to promote further discussion and providing for
          its repeal on June 30, 2021; and


 
a                                                     HB2445 SD1
                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2922
                                   Page 2


     (3)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment to conform
          the measure to recommended drafting style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of H.B. No. 2445, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B.
No. 2445, 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                                                     HB2445 SD1