STAND. COM. REP. NO. 546-12
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2012
RE: H.B. No. 2494
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Sixth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2012
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2494 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COST ITEMS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to fund the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund plan premium costs for plan years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 for the employees of collective bargaining unit (10) and for state officers and employees excluded from collective bargaining unit (10) due to an impasse in negotiations. Specifically, this measure provides employer plan contributions of a specific dollar amount equivalent to 50 percent of the premium rates established by the Board of Trustees of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund for the respective health benefit plan plus 50 percent of all administrative fees.
Currently, the Hawaii Labor Relations Board has declared an impasse between public employers and the United Public Workers, the exclusive representative of bargaining unit (10). Under current Hawaii law, public employer contributions for Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund benefits are not determined by an arbitration panel and must be determined by an agreement reached separate from the arbitration decision, or if no agreement has been reached within ten working days after the arbitration decision has been issued, then the public employers and the respective union each submits its recommendations for contributions directly to the Legislature for legislative determination and enactment. The public employer's proposed contributions are being submitted through this measure.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Removing the language referencing a dollar amount equivalent to 50 percent of the premium rates established by the Board of Trustees of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund for the respective health benefit plan plus 50 percent of the administrative fees was being provided by this measure;
(2) Removing all contribution amounts for the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund plan premium costs for plan years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013; and
(3) 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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2494, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2494, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,
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____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair |