Report Title:

State and County Retirees; Re-employment

Description:

Authorizes the rehiring of retired state or county employees in critical-to-fill or labor shortage positions without affecting the receipt of retirement benefits and without accruing additional credit or benefits.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1950
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to the re-employment of retirees.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to allow state and county governments to rehire retired employees as permanent workers in critical-to-fill or labor shortage positions, without the retirees incurring any negative impact on their normal retirement benefits.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 88, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§88-   Re-employment of state and county retirees. (a)  Appointing authorities in the state and county government may employ a retired state or county government employee who is receiving retirement benefits under this chapter in critical-to-fill or labor shortage positions.  A retirant subject to this section shall be recruited and selected for civil service positions under normal civil service procedures.  The director of human resources development, for employees hired by the state executive branch; the director of human resources of the judiciary, for employees hired by the judiciary; or the respective chief human resources management executive for the respective counties, for employees hired by a county, shall certify that the retirant was hired in accordance with applicable civil service laws.  To qualify for full-time employment, the retirant shall be retired from a state or county government position for at least one calendar year prior to reemployment.

(b)  Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a retired state or county government employee who is hired by the state or county government under this section:

(1) Shall not earn retirement service credit, contribute to the system, or gain additional system benefits as a result of the retirant's subsequent employment with the State or a county; and

(2) Shall continue to receive the employee's normal retirement benefits without penalty.

(c)  This section shall not preclude a retirant from returning to work and relinquishing the employee's retirement benefits to earn additional service credit and gain additional retirement benefits for a future retirement date as may be allowed by this chapter.

(d)  For the purposes of this section:

"State or county governments" means the State or any of its political subdivisions, including the judiciary, or any of the respective counties.

"Retired state or county employee" means any former employee of the State or any of its political subdivisions, including the judiciary, or of a respective county who is classified by the system as a retirant."

     SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007.

INTRODUCED BY:

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