STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1688

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1027

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1027, H.D. 1, S.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 2025-2027 for collective bargaining cost items for the members of collective bargaining unit (1), 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 System, United Public Workers, and Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

Your Committee finds that negotiations between the exclusive representative of collective bargaining unit (1) 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 recognizes that the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation has requested for its costs associated with its members of collective bargaining unit (1), along with their excluded counterparts, a general fund appropriation of $1,271,594 to fund collective bargaining unit pay increases and $3,242,027 to fund fringe benefits, for a total request of $4,513,621.

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. 1027, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair