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 S.B. No. 1493 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize and appropriate funds for a one-time lump sum payment to pensioners who, as of June 30, 2002, were at least 65 years old but less than 70 years old, and who had at least twenty years of service.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Retirees Unit of the Hawaii Government Employees Association.

The Department of Budget and Finance submitted testimony opposing this measure and the Administrator of the Employees' Retirement System submitted comments on this measure.

Your Committee finds that this measure provides a one-time lump sum bonus to those retirees who were not eligible to receive the $200 bonuses provided to each state and county retiree in Act 233, Session Laws of Hawaii 2002. Act 233 provided bonuses to retirees who were 70 years of age or older with at least 20 years of credited service as of June 30, 2002, and a general fund appropriation of $1,465,400 to pay for the bonuses for state retirees.

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 S.B. No. 1493 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.