STAND. COM. REP. NO.  185

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 1173

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1173 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure, among other things, is to provide for the settlement by the parties of disputes over contribution amounts paid by the State and counties to the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF) by final and binding arbitration, rather than subjecting the contribution amount determined to legislative oversight.

The Hawaii Government Employees Association supported this bill.  The Department of Budget and Finance stated that it did not support this measure.  The Department of the Attorney General provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to January 1, 2113, to promote further discussion.

     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. 1173, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1173, 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,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair