HONOLULU

June 20, 2003

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIONS TO HOUSE BILL NO. 290

Honorable Members

Twenty-Second Legislature

State of Hawaii

Pursuant to Section 16 of Article III of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii, I am returning herewith, without my approval, House Bill No. 290, entitled "A Bill for an Act Relating to Unemployment."

The primary purpose of this bill is to create a temporary state program to extend unemployment insurance benefits for an additional thirteen weeks for unemployed workers who had claims for unemployment benefits on or after September 11, 2001, and have exhausted their right to collect state, federal, and other unemployment benefits. Eligibility is conditioned on the federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program not being extended after May 31, 2003.

This bill is objectionable because it is unnecessary. On May 28, 2003, President George W. Bush signed federal legislation, Public Law No. 108-26, to extend the federal TEUC program until December 31, 2003. Because an individual would be eligible for the additional benefits under this bill only if the federal TEUC program was not extended and because that program has been extended, no individual can qualify for the additional benefits under this bill.

For the foregoing reasons, I am returning House Bill No. 290 without my approval.