Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 43 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide existing conservation and resources law enforcement (DOCARE) officers with the option of receiving retirement benefits similar to those provided to police officers and firefighters.

Testimony in support of the measure was received from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, and a private citizen. The Department of Budget and Finance opposed the measure. The Employees' Retirement System submitted comments.

Your Committee finds that the measure would provide current DOCARE officers of the Department of Land and Natural Resources with the option of converting from Class C (noncontributory) to Class A (contributory) members of the Employees' Retirement System. The measure also allows DOCARE officers to retire without penalty after twenty-five years of service in that capacity. Finally, the measure provides that all officers hired after June 30, 2001, are to be designated Class A members.

Your Committee believes that existing DOCARE officers should be provided with the similar retirement options as police officers and firefighters.

Your Committee has made a technical amendment for the purpose of clarity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 43, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 43, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.