STAND. COM. REP. NO. 71

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1063

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 1063 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR SALARY INCREASES FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate unspecified sums for:

     (1)  All collective bargaining cost items for state employees and officers in the Executive Branch, in the Judiciary Branch, and who are employed by the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, in collective bargaining unit (13); and

     (2)  Salary increases and other cost adjustments authorized by chapter 89C, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for state officers and employees in the Executive Branch, in the Judiciary Branch, and who are employed by the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation who are excluded from collective bargaining and belong to the same compensation plans as those officers and employees within collective bargaining unit (13).

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

     While it is uncertain whether the State is in a position to fund general salary increases for public employees at this time, your Committee finds that this measure provides a vehicle to implement pending collective bargaining agreements with bargaining unit (13), should a vehicle be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure for the purposes of clarity and consistency by making technical, nonsubstantive changes, including the following:

     (1)  Adding language authorizing the expenditure of the appropriated monies; and

     (2)  Limiting the designated excluded counterparts for officers and employees employed by the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation for whom appropriations are made to those who belong to the same compensation plans as those officers and employees within collective bargaining unit (13).

     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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1063, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1063, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair