CONFERENCE
COMMITTEE REP. NO. 160
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2019
RE: S.B. No. 1204
S.D. 2
H.D. 1
C.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirtieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2019
State of Hawaii
Honorable Scott K. Saiki
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirtieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2019
State of Hawaii
Sirs:
Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1204, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND DEFINITIONS,"
having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.
(1) Clarifies eligibility of the children of employee-beneficiaries, retiree-beneficiaries, and deceased beneficiaries for participation in EUTF benefit plans;
(2) Conforms eligibility criteria for dependents of an employee-beneficiary to federal requirements; and
(3) Conforms references to spousal relationships for purposes of eligibility criteria to current state law relating to marriage equality and the availability of civil unions.
Your Committee on Conference finds that the EUTF offers health benefits to dependents of state and county employees and retirees. Your Committee on Conference further finds that a child born or legally adopted after an employee's or retiree's death who is not the natural or adopted child of the deceased employee or retiree should not be eligible to participate in fund benefit plans because the child is not the child of the state or county employee or retiree. Your Committee on Conference also finds that there is inconsistency in the date of termination of coverage between surviving children of employees who are killed in the performance of their duties and surviving children of employees who are eligible for retirement. This measure will provide greater clarity on these issues and will also bring other definitions within the EUTF law into conformity with state and federal law.
Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by changing the effective date to upon approval.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1204, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1204, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:
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ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE |
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ON THE PART OF THE SENATE |
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____________________________ AARON LING JOHANSON Co-Chair |
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____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI Chair |
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____________________________ STACELYNN K. M. ELI Co-Chair |
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____________________________ KARL RHOADS Co-Chair |
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____________________________ GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN Co-Chair |
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