STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2744

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2919

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 2919, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to amend the definition of "sewer worker" for purposes of the Employees' Retirement System.

 

     Specifically, this measure includes the following classification titles as a "sewer worker":

 

     (1)  Sewer maintenance working supervisor;

 

     (2)  Wastewater collection system inspection supervisor;

 

     (3)  Wastewater collection system district supervisor;

 

     (4)  Wastewater collection system field services supervisor; and

 

     (5)  Similar classifications that have a different classification title but perform substantially similar work as workers in paragraphs (1) through (4).

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by two county agencies and one private organization.  Testimony in opposition of this measure was submitted by one private organization.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that it is fair and appropriate to include similarly ranked employees that perform substantially similar duties with similar benefits under the Employees' Retirement System.  Your Committee also finds that the introduction of new classifications within the wastewater collection system maintenance function has created a potential inequity among sewer workers in the matter of the twenty-five year retirement benefit under the Employees' Retirement System.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and accuracy.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2919, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2919, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair