STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 615-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 1918

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1918 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMMISSION ON SALARIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to establish a Commission on Salaries (Commission) within the Department of Human Resources Development (DHRD) that would be responsible for reviewing and recommending 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, or an equivalent position; and

(5) Department heads and executive officers, and their deputies or assistants, excluding the University of Hawaii and the Department of Education.

This bill also repeals the Executive Salary Commission and the Judicial Salary Commission.

This bill would become effective upon ratification of a constitutional amendment authorizing the establishment of the Commission.

The Hawaii Government Employees Association and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill. The Judiciary, Department of the Attorney General, and DHRD offered comments.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Adding two members to the Commission to be appointed by the Governor;

(2) Prohibiting the Commission from recommending salaries lower than salary amounts recommended by prior commissions replaced by the bill;

(3) Deleting the year in which the Commission shall submit the first report of its findings and its salary recommendations to the Legislature through the Governor, to facilitate further discussion;

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2096, and upon ratification of the accompanying constitutional amendment; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1918, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1918, H.D. 1.

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

		____________________________ SYLVIA LUKE, Chair