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. 3012, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow a member of the Employees' Retirement System who is diagnosed with an incurable debilitating disease to qualify for ordinary disability retirement but continue working until the member is no longer able to do so.

Specifically, the measure:

Your Committee finds that, under existing law, a member of the Employees' Retirement System can only qualify for ordinary disability retirement upon certification by the Employees' Retirement System's medical board that the member is permanently mentally or physically incapacitated and should be retired. However, your Committee further finds that some Employees' Retirement System members suffer from incurable debilitating diseases that have not yet progressed to the point where the members are unable to continue working. The measure would allow an Employees' Retirement System member suffering from an incurable debilitating disease to qualify for ordinary disability retirement but continue working until physically or mentally unable to do so.

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. 3012, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.