Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Labor and Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2557 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to allow the Department of Education (DOE) to rehire retired principals and vice-principals in shortage areas with no loss of retirement benefits; provided that retirees must be retired for at least one year to qualify for rehire.

The Lieutenant Governor, DOE, Hawaii Business Roundtable, Hawaii Government Employees Association, and Hawaii Association of Independent Schools submitted testimony in support of this bill.

Your Committee finds that this bill will help DOE address its pressing shortage of school administrators. As this problem is only expected to increase as more and more principals and vice-principals become eligible for retirement, it is essential to provide DOE with the means to attract and retain these vital employees.

Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this bill by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of style and clarity.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Labor and Public Employment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2557, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2557, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.