Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2478 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow trustees of OHA to participate in and receive the same retirement benefits as other state elected officials.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the measure from the Hawaiian Caucus of the Twenty-first Legislature, 2002, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, and a private individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to the measure from a private individual.

Your Committee finds that Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees are treated differently from both their elected colleagues at the State and County levels and their own employees, all of whom are entitled to State retirement benefits as a condition of their employment. This measure corrects this inequitable situation by allowing the trustees to participate in the Employees' Retirement System and to accrue retirement benefits as other elected State officials and the employees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs do.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2478 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.