Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3011 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide public employees with satisfactory performance in public service first consideration in filling civil service positions.

Your Committee finds that Act 253, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000, repealed that portion of section 76-22.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, that required the Director of Human Resources Development to give first consideration to employees already within public service when determining the manner in which positions would be filled. It is unclear whether appropriate rules or policies have been established since Act 253 was enacted to provide a preference for current public employees under the merit system. Your Committee believes that the need to recruit and retain qualified employees, especially during these times of low unemployment rates, necessitates the establishment of a clear policy on the issue under the law.

Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that the current employee's experience must be reasonably related to the position being filled.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3011, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3011, S.D. 1.