STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1628

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 716

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 716, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT COST ITEMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate or authorize funds for fiscal biennium 2021-2023 for collective bargaining cost items for the members of collective bargaining unit (8), which consists of personnel of the University of Hawaii and the community college system other than faculty, along with their excluded counterparts.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance, University of Hawaii, and Hawaii Government Employees Association.

Your Committee finds that negotiations between the exclusive representative of collective bargaining unit (8) and the public employer are ongoing. Your Committee further finds that allowing this measure to continue to advance through the legislative process will provide a vehicle to appropriate or authorize funds if an agreement is reached or an arbitration award is issued before the end of the current legislative session.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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 H.B. No. 716, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 716, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair