Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2274, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to make the Directors of the Offices of Council Services for the City and County of Honolulu and the County of Maui, if in service on July 1, 2006, class A members of the employees' retirement system (ERS).

The City and County of Honolulu and the County of Maui each maintain an Office of Council Services that provides comprehensive research and reference services for the respective Councils, conducts research for the enactment or consideration of legislation, and serves in an advisory or consultative capacity and provides clerical and logistical support to the respective Councils, members, and committees. Although no separate offices exist in the County of Hawaii or the County of Kauai, the same services are performed by the clerks' offices for those counties. Currently, the county clerks for the counties of Hawaii and Kauai are allowed to claim membership in the ERS as class A members. However, the Directors of the Offices of Council Services for the City and County of Honolulu and County of Maui are not accorded this same privilege. As these Directors perform the same legislative support functions as the county clerks for the counties of Hawaii and Kauai, they should be provided parity in terms of retirement benefits. This measure will provide the Directors for the Offices of Council Services who are in service in such capacities on July 1, 2006, with class A membership in the ERS.

Upon further consideration, your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2274, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2274, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.