Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Labor and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2980 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow corrections officers to retire with at least twenty-five years of credited service, regardless of age upon retirement.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Public Safety, the United Public Workers/AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO, and two individuals.

Comments on the measure were submitted by the Employees' Retirement System.

Your Committees find that currently corrections officers are not eligible to retire after twenty-five years of credited service, irrespective of their age upon retirement. However, your Committees further find that other law enforcement and safety officers who perform similar functions or face comparable job-related stress or hazards are provided with a lower standard for retirement eligibility, as was most recently provided to emergency medical technicians. Your Committees determine that every possible effort should be made to equitably compensate, retain, and recruit qualified individuals to serve as corrections officers within the State. Accordingly, these efforts should include an increase of benefits, such as a reduction in the number of years required for retirement eligibility.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2980 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.