Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Tourism and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2556 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exempt from the Employees' Retirement System the executive director of the Hawaii Tourism Authority and to give the board additional flexibility in the appointment.

Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was received from the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA).

Your Committee understands that the HTA board does not wish to exempt the executive director from all retirement benefits, only those pertaining to a retirement allowance based on the highest three years of public service.

Your Committee believes, however, that no decision can be made on how best to achieve this exemption until the board determines further parameters for hiring the executive director. Until such decisions are made, your Committee is passing this measure on for further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Tourism and Intergovernmental Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2556 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.