STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2969

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2593

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 S.B. No. 2593, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT STANDARDS BOARD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to facilitate the recruitment of certain specialized staff for the Law Enforcement Standards Board.

Specifically, this measure exempts three newly created positions of the Law Enforcement Standards Board from the State's civil service law and from collective bargaining.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Law Enforcement Standards Board.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association.

Your Committee finds that the Law Enforcement Standards Board recently approved the hiring for three employee positions: an administrative manager, a training and curriculum coordinator, and a lead investigative agent. Due to the specialized nature of the Board's work, its security and confidentiality requirements, and its need to attract competitive candidates, your Committee believes that these three new positions should be excluded from the State's civil service law and made exempt from collective bargaining.

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. 2593, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair