STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3315

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 222

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 222 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING STATE DEPARTMENTS TO CONVERT EXEMPT EMPLOYEES TO CIVIL SERVICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ACT 253, SESSION LAWS OF HAWAII 2000, AND ACT 300, SESSION LAWS OF HAWAII 2006,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Request the respective head of the Departments of Budget and Finance; Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Hawaiian Home Lands; Health; Human Services; Labor and Industrial Relations; Land and Natural Resources; and Public Safety, respectively, to submit reports to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2009 Regular Session on the number of exempt positions under laws other than the civil service chapter that have been converted to civil service in their respective departments; and

     (2)  Request these departments to convert all exempt clerical and paraprofessional positions to civil service by December 31, 2008.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association.  Comments were received from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Department of Human Resources Development, and Department of Land and Natural Resources.

     Act 253, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000, amended public employment laws and rules that had evolved over decades by reforming the civil service system and making government more efficient, effective, and responsive.  An important objective of civil service reform and Act 253, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000, was to increase the number of positions included in the civil service system, where appointments and promotions are made under a system of merit determined by competitive examination, and to decrease the use of exempt appointments, which are positions outside the civil service system.  This measure is an important step toward fulfilling the legislative intent of Act 253.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 222 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair