STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2908

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2784

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2784 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 (3), which consists of nonsupervisory employees in white collar positions, 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, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Hawaii Government Employees Association, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that negotiations between the exclusive representative of collective bargaining unit (3) 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:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(2) 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 S.B. No. 2784, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2784, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair