STAND. COM. REP. NO.  81

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 852

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 852 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to allow all elective officers who attain the age of 65 to retire and receive a service retirement allowance while continuing to fill their elective position.

 

     The Chair of the City Council of the City and County of Honolulu; Chair of the Kauai County Council; several members of the City Council of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii County Council, and Maui County Council; Hawaii State Teachers Association; and an individual testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Budget and Finance did not support this measure.  The Employees' Retirement System submitted comments.

 

     Currently, only members of the Legislature are eligible to retire and receive a pension while continuing to fill elective office if they reach the age of 65.  Your Committee believes in parity for all elected officials and that granting this benefit to all elected officials promotes fairness.


 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 852 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 & Public Employment,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ALEX M. SONSON, Chair