THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	81
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND TO AMEND ITS RULES TO ALLOW CONTINUATION OF ELIGIBILITY OF CHILD DEPENDENTS BEYOND AGE TWENTY-FOUR IF THE DEPENDENT HAS BEEN IN ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE UNTIL AGE TWENTY-FOUR.

     WHEREAS, section 87A-21, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires the Board of Trustees of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund to establish eligibility criteria to determine who can qualify as a dependent-beneficiary; and

     WHEREAS, section 3.01, Hawaii Administrative Rules, of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund defines a dependent beneficiary, in relevant part, as being a child who is under the age of nineteen or a full-time student and under the age of twenty-four; and

     WHEREAS, many instances are currently occurring wherein a beneficiary has a child who is under the age twenty-four, who has been called to active duty with the military reserves or national guard, who has returned to Hawaii, who has resumed or commenced education as a student, and who then has reached age twenty-four, and then does not qualify for benefits because the child is twenty-four years of age; and

     WHEREAS, the administrative rules of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund should be amended in order to accommodate the employee beneficiary's dependent children who have served in active military service with the reserves or national guard, as described herein, because they effectively continue their dependency while enrolled in higher education and their ability to obtain higher education was interrupted due to military service; and

     WHEREAS, allowing this class of dependent children to continue to be eligible for health benefits encourages them to continue with their college education; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Board of Trustees of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund amend its administrative rules to allow a dependent beneficiary who was under the age of twenty-four when called to active duty with the military reserves or national guard, who has returned to Hawaii, who has resumed or commenced education as a student, and who then has reached age twenty-four, to allow that dependent beneficiary to continue eligibility after reaching age twenty-four, possibly by excluding the time the child serves in active service; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund report on its progress in making the appropriate administrative rule amendments, including any necessary statutory amendments, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to Board of Trustees of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund, and the State Director of Finance.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

EUTF; Dependent Beneficiaries; Active Military Service Credit