STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 871-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 1917

H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1917, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO THE HAWAII CONSTITUTION RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SALARY COMMISSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to propose a constitutional amendment to establish a Salary Commission (Commission) to review and recommend salaries for:

(1) Justices and judges of all state courts;

(2) Members of the Legislature;

(3) The Governor and Lieutenant Governor;

(4) The Administrative Director of the State; and

(5) Department heads, executive officers, and the deputies or assistants to departments heads of the departments provide by law, excluding the University of Hawaii and the Department of Education.

The Hawaii Government Employees Association and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill. The Department of Human Resources Development (DHRD) provided comments.

DHRD's testimony indicated that:

(1) Due to the nature and scope of the Commission, more time would be needed to complete the recommendations, as the amendment would take effect in November 2006; and

(2) The period of eight years between recommendations be reduced to four.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for consistency, clarity, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1917, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1917, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

		____________________________ DWIGHT TAKAMINE, Chair