STAND. COM. REP. 1080

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 435

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor and Public Employment, to which was referred S.B. No. 435 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide health benefit plan choices by:

(1) Requiring the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund to establish flexible health benefit option plans for retirees to select benefits coverage under separate option categories; and

(2) Allowing employee-beneficiaries whose spouses are not public employees or retired public employees to enroll in these plans.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association testified in support of this bill. The Department of Budget and Finance opposed this measure.

Your Committee concurs with the Senate Committee on Ways and Means that the establishment of flexible health benefits option plans provided for in this bill will allow retired public employees to select benefits coverage tailored to their needs.

With the ever-increasing cost of health care, your Committee finds that this measure may assist the State to contain these costs, while allowing retirees to select coverage that they specifically need.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor and Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 435 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor and Public Employment,

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair