STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1259

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.C.R. No. 278

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 278 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU TO CONDUCT A STUDY TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE POST RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE IN FULFILLING ITS PURPOSE TO HELP OFFSET THE RISING COST OF LIVING AND KEEP UP WITH INFLATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) to conduct a study on the current Post Retirement Allowance to determine whether it is fulfilling its purpose of maintaining a standard of living for retired members and beneficiaries.

     The Hawaii State Teachers Association – Retired COLA Fairness Committee and several individuals testified in support of this measure.  LRB commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Requesting LRB to also determine whether the Post Retirement Allowance is supplementing pensions sufficiently to keep up with inflation; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 278, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Legislative Management in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 278, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair