STAND. COM. REP. NO. 900

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 992

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 992 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE VI, SECTION 3, OF THE HAWAII STATE CONSTITUTION TO INCREASE THE MANDATORY RETIREMENT AGE FOR STATE JUSTICES AND JUDGES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to propose an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to increase the mandatory retirement age for justices and judges to the age of seventy-five years.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of the Public Defender and three individuals.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from two individuals.

Your Committee finds that many people work and are productive well beyond the age of seventy. Your Committee believes that increasing the judicial retirement age, as proposed by this measure, will ensure the continued availability of experienced justices and judges.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

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. 992, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 992, S.D. 1.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair