STAND. COM. REP. NO. 878

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1585

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1585 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COST ITEMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to fund collective bargaining cost items relating to the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund for public employees in certain collective bargaining units and their excluded counterparts.

Specifically, the measure funds, for fiscal biennium 2005-2007, Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund cost items in the agreements negotiated with the exclusive bargaining representative of collective bargaining unit (2), supervisory employees in blue collar positions; bargaining unit (3), nonsupervisory employees in white collar positions; bargaining unit (4), supervisory employees in white collar positions; bargaining unit (6), educational officers and other personnel of the department of education under the same pay schedule; bargaining unit (8), personnel of the University of Hawaii and the community college system, other than faculty; and bargaining unit (13), professional and scientific employees, who cannot be included in any other bargaining units.

In addition, the measure funds, for fiscal biennium 2005-2007, the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund cost items authorized under chapter 89C, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for state officers and employees who are excluded from collective bargaining and under the same compensation plans as those officers and employees within collective bargaining units (2), (3), (4), (6), (8), and (13).

Although no sums have been appropriated or authorized from the sources of funding indicated in the measure, your Committee believes that a vehicle for funding these collective bargaining cost items should continue to advance in the Legislature as negotiations between the State and the exclusive bargaining representative for units (2), (3), (4), (6), (8), and (13) will eventually produce a settlement.

Your Committee has amended the measure by inserting language that authorizes the various departments to expend the funds allotted and by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

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 S.B. No. 1585, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1585, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair