STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1313

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: S.B. No. 211
                                     S.D. 1
                                     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 Labor and Public Employment, to which was
referred S.B. No. 211, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT
     SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to extend from June 30, 1999, to
June 30, 2001, the bonus originally granted to retirants of the
Employees' Retirement System under Act 339, Session Laws of
Hawaii 1990, and to appropriate funds therefor.

     The Hawaii State Teachers Association - Retired, the
Coalition of Hawaii State/Counties Retirees, Inc., the Hawaii
State Teachers Association, and the Hawaii Government Employees
Association testified in support of the measure.  The Employees'
Retirement System and the Oahu Retired Teachers Association
commented on the measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance
opposed the measure.

     Your Committee finds that extending the bonuses for two more
years will help retirees living on fixed incomes cope with the
rising cost of living in Hawaii.

     Your Committee notes that this bill is similar to H.B. No.
98, H.D. 1, that was passed out of the House of Representatives
earlier this session after public hearings before this Committee

 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1313
                                 Page 2

 
and the Committee on Finance.  Your Committee has amended this
bill by:

     (1)  Inserting the language from H.B. 98, H.D. 1; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Labor and Public Employment that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 211, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No.
211, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Labor and Public
                                   Employment,



                                   ______________________________
                                   TERRY NUI YOSHINAGA, Chair