STAND. COM. REP. NO. 657

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 119

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 119 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for public employment cost items and cost adjustments for employees of the legislative branch.

Specifically, this measure appropriates unspecified amounts to the:

(1)  State Ethics Commission;

(2)  Office the Auditor;

(3)  Office of the Legislative Reference Bureau;

(4)  Office of the Ombudsman;

(5)  Senate; and

(6)  House of Representatives.

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

     Your Committee finds that the staff of the Legislature and the legislative service agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.  This measure provides a legislative vehicle to appropriate sufficient funds for the public employment cost items of and cost adjustments for those officers and employees.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 119 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair