Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1444 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to fund all collective bargaining cost items in the agreement negotiated with the exclusive representative of collective bargaining unit 12 - police officers, for fiscal biennium 2003-2005.

Your Committee on Labor previously received testimony in support of this measure from the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers. The Office of Collective Bargaining opposed this measure.

Although no sums have been appropriated or authorized from the sources of funding enumerated in this measure, your Committee believes that a vehicle for funding these collective bargaining cost items and salary increases and cost adjustments should continue to advance in the Legislature, as negotiations between the State and the exclusive representative of collective bargaining unit 12 will eventually produce a settlement. For health and safety reasons, the members of collective bargaining unit 12 are not permitted to engage in a labor strike.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1444 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.