STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1500

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 1204

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1204, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND DEFINITIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Clarify the eligibility of surviving children to receive benefits under the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund by amending the definitions of "dependent-beneficiary" and "employee-beneficiary" in chapter 87A, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

(2) Update references related to marriage to account for civil unions in interpreting who is a "dependent-beneficiary" and "employee-beneficiary".

The Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund Board of Trustees supported this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that a surviving child be unmarried, under the definition of "employee-beneficiary", to be eligible to receive benefits under the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund; and

(2) 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 S.B. No. 1204, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1204, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair