Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2718 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend the law relating to the salaries of legislative service agencies, specifically, the Office of the Auditor, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of the Auditor, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Your Committee finds that the Office of the Auditor, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Legislative Reference Bureau provide invaluable services to the Legislature and the State as a whole. However, the salaries for the Auditor, Ombudsman, and Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau, and their first deputy or first assistants, have remain unchanged for well over a decade, since 1990. Your Committee further finds that in the case of the Office of the Auditor, the salaries of staff members have actually surpassed that of the first deputy. Therefore, your Committee determines that it is necessary to provide for the adequate compensation of the individuals in these positions at a level commensurate with the their responsibilities, experience, and performance.

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. 2718 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.