STAND. COM. REP. 2136

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2002

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Labor and Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2002 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide conservation and resources enforcement with the same retirement benefits as police officers and firefighters, including the ability to:

(1) Retire without penalty after accruing twenty-five years of credited service, regardless of age upon retirement; and

(2) Earn two and one-half per cent retirement allowance upon retirement.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, and eight individuals.

Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Budget and Finance and an individual.

The Employees' Retirement System submitted comments on the measure.

Your Committees find that conservation and resources enforcement officers are officers commissioned with full police powers, yet under the current law they are not eligible to retire after twenty-five years of service without penalty, regardless of age upon retirement. Your Committees also determine that conservation and resources enforcement officers perform hazardous, stressful, and physically demanding duties, and are constantly exposed to similar threats and dangers encountered by other law enforcement officers. Therefore, parity in the amount of benefits received should exist among individuals who perform these duties.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor and Water, Land, and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2002 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Labor and Water, Land, and Agriculture,

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LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

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BRIAN KANNO, Chair