STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3547

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1700

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 1700, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Specify that each Employer-Union Trust Fund (EUTF) trustee, in addition to the EUTF board, shall administer health and other benefit plans for the sole and exclusive benefit of EUTF beneficiaries; and

 

     (2)  Repeal provisions requiring health and other benefit plans to be provided at an affordable cost to both public employers and public employees.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly and Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

 

     Your Committee finds that under existing law, EUTF trustees are required to consider both the public employers and public employees when designing and administering health and other benefit plans.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Making it effective upon its approval; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1700, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1700, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts,

 

 

 

________________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair