Report Title:

Board of Education; Salaries

Description:

Provides salaries for board of education members. Establishes a salary commission to determine salaries for the board every 4 years.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1607

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to the board of education.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the board of education, as the policy-making body for the public school system, plays a key decision-making role in shaping the education of the children of Hawaii. Today, the board of education faces many challenges and issues, often complex ones, including the rising cost of, and the shortage of teachers for, special education, that were not at issue when the board was first established. Thus, members should be willing and able to confront the challenges facing the board, so they can best direct and provide for the education of Hawaii's public school students.

The purpose of this Act is to improve the quality and leadership of the board of education by providing salaries for the members of the board.

SECTION 2. Chapter 13, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding two new sections to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§13-A Salaries. Members of the board:

(1) Shall receive an annual salary that shall be paid:

(A) From the revenues of the general fund; and

(B) In equal amounts, beginning with the first pay period for state employees in November of the year the member of the board is elected.

Effective July 1, 2005, the salary of the chairperson of the board shall be $37,000 a year, and the salary of other members of the board shall be $32,000 a year. Any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, all members of the board shall be included in any benefit program generally applicable to officers and employees of the State;

(2) Shall be allowed transportation fares between islands to attend a board meeting if the member resides on an island other than the island where the meeting is held; and

(3) Shall be allowed a protocol allowance to cover expenses incurred in the course of a member's duties and responsibilities.

§13-B Salary commission; established. (a) There is established a salary commission for the members of the board of education. The salary commission shall consist of seven members appointed by the governor on or before August 31, 2005, and every four years thereafter. The members shall serve without compensation but shall be entitled to reimbursement for necessary expenses while in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities.

(b) Before the twentieth legislative day of the regular session of 2006 and every four years thereafter, the salary commission shall study and make recommendations for the salary of the members of the board, and then shall be dissolved. The recommended salary shall be effective as of the date of the recommendations, unless the legislature disapproves the recommendation by adoption of a concurrent resolution prior to adjournment sine die of the legislative session in which the recommendation is submitted."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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