THE SENATE

THE TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2003

COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS

Senator Brian T. Taniguchi, Chair

Senator Russell S. Kokubun, Vice Chair

NOTICE OF DECISION MAKING

 

DATE:

Monday, February 24, 2003

TIME:

9:00 a.m.

PLACE:

Conference Room 211

State Capitol

415 South Beretania Street

A G E N D A

 

SB 614

SD1

(SSCR273)

RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE.

Establishes a health insurance fraud investigations unit within the insurance division. Provides immunity from civil liability for the reporting of insurance fraud, except in the case of malicious reporting or perjury. Appropriates funds. (SD1)

CPH, WAM

SB 695

SD1

(SSCR437)

RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS.

Establishes a professional counselors licensing program effective 7/1/05, subject to the accumulation of a minimum $43,000 in a startup trust fund. Exempts government employees. Requires DCCA to report on the fund to the 2004 Legislature. Terminates the fund on 6/30/05 and mandates the fund balance to be deposited into the compliance resolution fund. Allows counselors with current national certification to be licensed upon application and payment of fees within one year of the licensing program's effective date. Authorizes the appointment of an administrative assistant and secretary. (SD1)

CPH, WAM

SB 1661

SD1

(SSCR79)

RELATING TO THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF HAWAII.

Amends Act 100, SLH 2001, to require the Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawaii to complete the construction of the Villages of Kapolei within five years of effective date of this Act, and to coordinate with the City and County of Honolulu to implement recommendations of private traffic study. (SD1)

CPH/TMG, WAM

SB 65

SD1

(SSCR205)

RELATING TO AGRIBUSINESS INCUBATORS.

Appropriates $500,000 for development of the agribusiness incubator initiative. (SD1)

ECD/WLA, WAM

SB 14

SD1

(SSCR395)

RELATING TO REHIRING RETIRED SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS.

Allows the rehiring of retired school administrators as principals or vice principals without penalty to retirement benefits. Requires retirees to have been retired for at least one year before reemployment. (SD1)

EDU/LBR, WAM

SB 24

SD1

(SSCR307)

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Establishes that salary schedules of principals and vice-principals of public high schools and K-12 schools shall be based on a twelve-month term of service and those of elementary schools shall be based on a ten-month term of service; all other educational officer salary schedules shall be based on a ten-month term of service; provides retention bonus and provides that this Act shall not impair contracts existing prior to its enactment in violation of Hawaii Constitution and United States Constitution. Appropriates funds for the additional two months salary for educational officers whose salary schedule shall be converted to a twelve-month term of service. (SD1)

EDU, WAM

SB 209

SD2

(SSCR446)

RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT.

Appropriating $60,000 for the conversion of 10-month certificated positions to 12-month positions, as needed, for multi-track schools for fiscal years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. (SD2)

EDU/LBR, WAM

SB 402

SD1

(SSCR479)

RELATING TO MEDICAL EDUCATION.

Establishes the Hawaii Medical Education Council to coordinate and govern graduate medical education in the State. (SD1)

EDU/HTH, WAM

SB 576

(SSCR397)

RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII.

Disallows the University of Hawaii board of regents from making expenditures from the University of Hawaii tuition and fees special fund to generate private donations to the University of Hawaii Foundation

EDU, WAM

SB 1700

SD1

(SSCR503)

RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS.

Establishes the charter school education agency to be administratively attached to the DOE; provides for an executive director and staff for the office; requires funds for charter schools to be appropriated through EDN 110 -- charter schools. (SD1)

EDU, WAM

SB 354

SD1

(SSCR442)

RELATING TO ENERGY.

Extends heat pump and ice storage systems tax credits to 2008 and replaces credit percentages and amounts with unspecified percentages and amounts. (SD1)

ENE, WAM

SB 506

(SSCR93)

RELATING TO GEOTHERMAL ROYALTIES.

Allocates $250,000 per year from the State's portion of the geothermal royalties to DBEDT to fund hydrogen research and development.

ENE, WAM

SB 1239

SD1

(SSCR424)

RELATING TO ENERGY.

Requires biodiesel fuels to be used in state fleets. Establishes a biodiesel fuel revolving fund. Allows for the delivery of biodiesel to state harbors. Reduces harbor fees for alternative fuel vessels. Exempts biodiesel from the state fuel tax law. Bans grease from landfills. Appropriates funds. (SD1)

ENE, WAM

SB 859

SD1

(SSCR6)

RELATING TO BRIDGE TO HOPE.

Appropriates funds to the Bridge to Hope Program. Expands eligibility to include Temporary Assistance to Other Needy Families. (SD1)

HMS, WAM

SB 457

(SSCR466)

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE WAIPAHU COMMUNITY ADULT DAY HEALTH CENTER AND YOUTH DAY CARE CENTER PILOT PROJECT.

Appropriates $350,000 for the Waipahu Community Adult Day Health Center and Youth Day Care Center.

HTH/HMS, WAM

SB 661

SD1

(SSCR59)

RELATING TO SEXUAL ASSAULT.

Creates the sexual assault prevention special fund; raises the marriage license fee for deposit into the fund. Directs the department of health to use moneys from the fund for sexual assault prevention programs. (SD1)

HTH, WAM

SB 745

SD1

(SSCR385)

RELATING TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.

Requires DOH to integrate emergency aeromedical services into statewide emergency medical services; appropriates funds for aeromedical services for Maui county. (SD1)

HTH, WAM

SB 748

SD1

(SSCR468)

RELATING TO NURSING EDUCATION.

Establishes a nursing education loan program to provide loans for eligible nursing students in an amount of up to $10,000 per student per academic year. Provides for loan repayment or partial or complete loan forgiveness for eligible individuals who satisfy the work requirement. Appropriates funds to provide loans to nursing candidates and faculty. (SD1)

HTH/EDU, WAM

SB 1088

SD1

(SSCR536)

RELATING TO LONG-TERM CARE.

Sets long-term care income tax rates, manner of payment, long-term care benefits. (SD1)

HTH/HMS, WAM

SB 1243

SD1

(SSCR159)

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR PRIMARY HEALTH CARE FOR THE UNINSURED.

Appropriates $2,000,000 in FY 2003-2004 and $3,000,000 in FY 2004-2005 to DOH to pay for primary health services for uninsured Hawaii residents through nonprofit, community-based primary health care. (SD1)

HTH, WAM

SB 1399

SD1

(SSCR538)

RELATING TO A LONG-TERM CARE TAX CREDIT.

Provides a refundable net income tax credit to encourage the purchase of long-term care insurance. (SD1)

HTH/HMS, WAM

SB 477

(SSCR36)

RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS COMMISSION ACT.

Authorizes department of Hawaiian home lands to retain independent legal counsel.

JHW, WAM

SB 632

SD1

(SSCR17)

RELATING TO TAXATION APPEALS.

Repeals the requirement that assessed taxes must be paid prior to appealing to the tax appeal court for a first appeal. (SD1)

JHW, WAM

SB 638

(SSCR191)

RELATING TO HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION.

Provides for election of members to the Hawaiian Homes Commission; specifies qualification for eligibility and to vote; specifies length of term of office; provides for filling vacancies with special election.

JHW, WAM

SB 877

SD1

(SSCR281)

RELATING TO CORRECTIONS.

Requires that the range and quality of programming offered to women in corrections be substantially equivalent to the range and quality of programs offered to males. Requires office of youth services to develop and implement gender-responsive community-based programs for adjudicated females. Appropriates unspecified sums. (SD1)

JHW/HMS, WAM

SB 1437

(SSCR199)

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE OFFICE OF ELECTIONS.

Appropriates funds for the office of elections to meet the 5% matching funds requirement of the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002.

JHW, WAM

SB 94

SD1

(SSCR445)

RELATING TO CIVIL SERVICE.

Grants civil service status to certain exempt employees in the department of land and natural resources. (SD1)

LBR, WAM

SB 312

SD1

(SSCR408)

RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC EMPLOYEES HEALTH FUND.

Mandates specific health benefits for public sector retirees. (SD1)

LBR, WAM

SB 762

SD1

(SSCR264)

RELATING TO THE EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND.

Requires the employer contribution cap on monthly contributions for health benefits plans for retirees to be adjusted annually, beginning July 1, 2002. (SD1)

LBR, WAM

SB 765

SD1

(SSCR266)

RELATING TO THE RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE FOR PRINCIPALS AND VICE PRINCIPALS.

Provides any member with ten years of credited service as a public school principal or vice principal earned after the effective date of this Act to retire without penalty after accruing at least twenty-five years of credited service, regardless of age upon retirement. (SD1)

LBR, WAM

SB 797

SD1

(SSCR525)

RELATING TO THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

Allows retirees and beneficiaries of all bargaining units to elect to be paid either monthly or semimonthly. Allows 9, 10, and 11-month employees, elective officers, and appointees of the governor to specify the effective date of their retirement. (SD1)

LBR, WAM

SB 895

SD1

(SSCR331)

RELATING TO SICK LEAVE FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES.

Requires state and county employers who provide sick leave to permit employees to use sick leave to care for designated family members who have a serious health condition. (SD1)

LBR, WAM

SB 936

SD1

(SSCR448)

RELATING TO HAWAII VICTIMS' UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ACT.

Entitles domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking victims to unemployment benefits. (SD1)

LBR, WAM

SB 1309

SD1

(SSCR417)

RELATING TO THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

Restores the method used to calculate a member's average final compensation to the formula in effect prior to the enactment of Act 128, SLH 2002. Allows the board the authority to set the salary of the administrator at not less than the salary of the deputy director and not more than the salary of the director. Requires the effective date of retirement to be on the first day of the month or the last day of the year for elective officers and judges who have attained the seventy-five per cent benefit limitation. (SD1)

LBR, WAM

SB 1425

SD1

(SSCR450)

RELATING TO BUSINESS MENTORING OF YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS.

Appropriates $85,000 to establish a demonstration program of business mentoring for youth and young adults in career development and workplace and occupational skills. (SD1)

LBR/ECD, WAM

SB 726

(SSCR374)

RELATING TO THE SPECIAL ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT.

Adds function to special advisory council for technology development to keep government informed of problems and barriers faced by private sector high technology businesses in operating in or entering the State to do business.

SAT/ECD, WAM

SB 1149

(SSCR190)

RELATING TO ELECTIONS BY MAIL.

Allows any federal, state, or county election other than a regularly scheduled primary or general election to be conducted by mail.

TMG/JHW, WAM

SB 516

SD1

(SSCR140)

RELATING TO KANEOHE BAY PIERS.

Requires the board of land and natural resources, in calculating lease rents for private residential noncommercial piers in Kaneohe Bay, to use a methodology that values sites with piers at an enhanced value of a maximum of 10%; makes the change retroactive to the time of the original Act. (SD1)

WLA, WAM

 

NO ORAL TESTIMONY WILL BE ACCEPTED

Persons wishing to submit written comments should submit 30 copies of their comments to the committee clerk, Room 210, State Capitol during regular business hours, or outside the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Office, Room 015, State Capitol for all other times, 24 hours prior to the hearing. Comments may also be faxed if less than 5 pages in length, to the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Office at 586-6659 or 1-800-586-6659 (toll free for neighbor islands), at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. When faxing, please indicate that the comments are to be submitted for this particular decision making and the required number of copies needed for submittal.

If you require special assistance or auxiliary aids or services to participate in the public hearing process (i.e., sign language interpreter, wheelchair accessibility, or parking designated for the disabled) please contact the committee clerk 24 hours prior to the hearing so arrangements can be made.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT 586-6800.

 

________________________________________

Senator Brian T. Taniguchi

Chair