Establishes that certain registered professional nurses shall not have their service retirement allowances reduced for actuarial purposes upon retirement and shall not have their retirement benefits reduced for age after termination of service.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. Chapter 88, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§88-   Registered professional nurses; service retirement allowance not reduced. In addition to those positions identified in section 88-74(1), and notwithstanding any provision in this part that requires a member to attain age fifty-five to qualify for an unreduced service retirement allowance, if the member has at least twenty-five years of credited service, of which the last ten or more years prior to retirement is credited service as a registered professional nurse, then upon retirement and irrespective of age, that member's service retirement allowance shall not be reduced for actuarial purposes."

SECTION 2. Section 88-21, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:

""Registered professional nurse" means a person:

SECTION 3. Section 88-281, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§88-281 Service retirement. (a) A member who has ten years of credited service and has attained age sixty-two, or a member with thirty years credited service who has attained the age of fifty-five, shall become eligible to receive a retirement allowance after the member has terminated service.

(b) If a member has at least twenty-five years of credited service as a sewer worker or as a water safety officer of which the last five or more years prior to retirement is credited in such a capacity, then the sewer worker or water safety officer shall be eligible to receive a retirement benefit unreduced for age after the member has terminated service.

(c) A member who has twenty years of credited service and has attained age fifty-five shall be eligible to receive an early retirement allowance reduced for age after the member has terminated service.

(d) A member who has ten years of credited service and terminates service prior to attaining age sixty-two shall have a vested right and shall be eligible to receive a retirement allowance when the member has attained age sixty-five.

(e) If a member has at least thirty years of credited service through June 30, 2003; twenty-nine years of credited service on or after July 1, 2004; twenty-eight years of credited service on or after July 1, 2005; twenty-seven years of credited service on or after July 1, 2006; twenty-six years of credited service on or after July 1, 2007; and twenty-five years of credited service on or after July 1, 2008, as an emergency medical technician, of which the last five or more years prior to retirement is credited service in that capacity, the emergency medical technician shall be eligible to receive a retirement benefit unreduced for age after the member has terminated service.

(f) If a member has at least twenty-five years of credited service, of which the last ten or more years prior to retirement is credited service as a registered professional nurse, the registered professional nurse shall be eligible to receive a retirement benefit unreduced for age after the member has terminated service.

[(f)] (g) A member may retire upon the written application to the board, specifying the desired date of retirement, which shall be not less than thirty days nor more than one hundred fifty days subsequent to the date of filing. Retirement shall be effective on the first day of a month, except for the month of December when retirement on the first or last day of the month shall be allowed."

SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.