STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1134-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 578

S.D. 3

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor & Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 578, S.D. 3, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GOVERNMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the Department of the Attorney General to employ retirants of the Employees' Retirement System as investigators without re-enrolling in the Employees' Retirement System if the position is identified as a labor shortage or difficult-to-fill position;

(2) Authorize the Department of Agriculture to employ retirants of the Employees' Retirement System for management positions excluded from collective bargaining without re-enrolling in the Employees' Retirement System if the position is identified as a labor shortage or difficult-to-fill position; and

(3) Require the appropriate director of human resources to report the employment of those retirants to the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Agriculture. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Employees' Retirement System.

Your Committee finds that the State is facing unprecedented vacancies in state positions. The Department of the Attorney General has found it difficult to fill investigator positions. This measure would allow for qualified and experienced retirants to be rehired without having a detrimental impact on their retiree benefits under the Employees' Retirement System.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have authorized the Department of Agriculture to hire retirants of the Employees' Retirement System for management positions excluded from collective bargaining, under certain conditions;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 578, S.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 578, S.D. 3, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Government Operations,

____________________________

SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair