RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the Legislature of the State of Hawaii firmly believes in the principle of equal pay for equal work; and

WHEREAS, in Hawaii, the cost of living ranks consistently among the highest in the nation; and

WHEREAS, although federal employees who reside in Hawaii do receive non-foreign area cost of living adjustments in their pay, the federal government fails to credit non-foreign area cost of living allowances to "basic pay" for retirement purposes of federal employees residing in Hawaii and Alaska; and

WHEREAS, with the exception of those residing in Hawaii and Alaska, federal employees throughout the United States receive locality pay in addition to their salaries in amounts varying between twelve per cent to twenty-eight per cent; and

WHEREAS, federal employees who reside in Hawaii and Alaska are denied these payments solely because they reside in these states; and

WHEREAS, the locality pay received by federal employees is counted as "basic pay" for retirement purposes thereby resulting in federal employees in the contiguous United States receiving retirement pay in amounts between twelve per cent and twenty-eight per cent greater than federal employees who worked and resided in Hawaii and Alaska; and

WHEREAS, this practice denies residents of Hawaii and Alaska substantial pay and benefits for no other reason than that their residence is outside the contiguous United States; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature believes that this practice is an unconstitutional and irrationally discriminatory policy enacted and enforced by the United States government; and

WHEREAS, the aforementioned policies deprive Hawaii federal employees the fundamental right to interstate travel and constitute unjustified and unwarranted personnel actions, resulting in withdrawal or decrease of earned income; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature of the State of Hawaii expresses its support of congressional efforts to ensure that:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and each member of Hawaii's congressional delegation.

Report Title:

Federal Employees; Basic Pay and Retirement Benefits; Pay Equity