STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2859

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2493

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 S.B. No. 2493 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the definition "employee beneficiary" to retain beneficiary status for unmarried adult children incapable of self-support after the death of a retired member.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund.

Your Committee finds that there is no survivor benefit coverage in the health benefits plan or long-term care for the disabled adult child of an employee who has dedicated their life to public service. Therefore, under current law, disabled adult children lose their health benefits upon the death of the retired member. Your Committee further finds that currently there are 403 such dependents on the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund health plans incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical incapacity.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

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 S.B. No. 2493, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2493, 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,

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BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair