Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 986, H.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to permit surviving dependent children over the age of eighteen and until the age of twenty-four to receive death benefits while they are, when they become, and as long as they remain, full-time students.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Budget and Finance submitted testimony in opposition to this measure, and the Employees' Retirement System submitted comments indicating that it would submit information regarding cost impacts of this measure.

Your Committee finds that the surviving children of deceased public employees are often faced with financial hardship due to the absence of support from the deceased parent or parents. Your Committee believes that the State should assist surviving children beyond the age of eighteen who are seeking to further their education by continuing to provide them with death benefits until the age of twenty-four so long as they are full-time students.

Your Committee has amended the measure to make a technical, nonsubstantive amendment to accurately reflect statutory formatting.

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 H.B. No. 986, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 986, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.