STAND. COM. REP. NO.  644-26

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2026

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2472

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

 

Madame:

 

     Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 2472 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND STAFF SALARIES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Board of Trustees of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (Board) to establish the salary for the Assistant Administrator at a level commensurate with privatesector compensation.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Board of Trustees of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund and Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association.

 

     Your Committee finds that compensation for management professionals in state service lags significantly behind comparable privatesector salaries, making it difficult for the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (Trust Fund) to attract and retain highly qualified upper level staff.  This compensation gap affects the Trust Fund's ability to maintain experienced leadership capable of managing complex benefit programs that serve a large statewide workforce.  Your Committee believes that allowing the Board to set a competitive salary for the Assistant Administrator will strengthen the Trust Fund's recruitment and retention efforts and enhance long-term operational stability.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

 

     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. 2472, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2472, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JACKSON D. SAYAMA, Chair