STAND. COM. REP. 1496

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1333

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1333, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE COMPENSATION OF OFFICIALS IN THE JUDICIAL BRANCH OF STATE GOVERNMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to establish a process that ensures the regular updating of salaries for Judicial Branch employees. This bill authorizes the Judicial Salary Commission (Commission) to determine, rather than recommend, salaries for various employees effective July 1, 2004, and every eight years thereafter, subject to legislative and gubernatorial approval.

The Department of the Attorney General, the Hawaii State Bar Association, and the Hawaii Chapter of the American Judicature Society testified in support of this measure. The Judiciary offered comments.

Your Committee has amended this bill by decentralizing the appointing authority as follows:

(1) The Governor shall appoint one member rather than all five members of the Commission;

(2) The Senate President shall appoint two members; and

(3) The House Speaker shall appoint two members.

Prior to these amendments, three of the Governor's appointments would be made from lists of nominees submitted by the Senate President, House Speaker, and Chief Justice.

Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for purposes of consistency and to correct drafting errors.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1333, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1333, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair