STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3667

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2273

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2273, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT COST ITEMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation for collective bargaining cost items for the members of bargaining unit (14) and their excluded counterparts.

More specifically, this measure provides for the cost of salary adjustments negotiated between the State and the exclusive bargaining unit representative of bargaining unit (14) for the fiscal biennium 2025-2027.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Hawaii Government Employees Association.

Your Committee finds that collective bargaining negotiations are currently underway. Your Committee further finds that this measure may be necessary if an agreement is reached or an arbitration award is issued requiring an appropriation prior to the end of the regular session.

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 H.B. No. 2273, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2273, H.D. 1, 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