STAND. COM. REP. NO.  383

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 697

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. 697 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT COST ITEMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund costs and other cost adjustments for public officers and employees in legislative service agencies for fiscal year 2013-2014.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Ombudsman, the Office of the Auditor, the Hawaii State Ethics Commission, and the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Your Committee finds that the legislative service agencies are excluded from collective bargaining but that compensation and benefits for their officers and employees is tied to the collective bargaining agreements between the public employer and the exclusive representative of applicable collective bargaining units.  Your Committee further finds that this measure should continue to move through the legislative process in the event that the public employer and the exclusive representative of the applicable collective bargaining units come to an agreement over cost items during the legislative session.

     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. 697 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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