STAND. COM. REP. NO.1100

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 24

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor and Public Employment, to which was referred S.B. No. 24, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to enable a public agency to conduct experimental modernization projects to make the agency's operation more efficient and productive.

Specifically, the bill authorizes human resource programs in state and county agencies, effective July 1, 2001, to institute experimental projects to determine whether specific personnel changes are desirable. Although Act 253, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000, the Civil Service Reform Act, authorizes public agencies to conduct experimental modernization projects, agencies cannot initiate these projects until July 1, 2002, the effective date of Act 253.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this bill from the Department of Accounting and General Services, the Board of Water Supply of the City and County of Honolulu, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, and three individuals.

Your Committee finds that this bill will allow state and county public agencies to improve their operation and customer service by implementing pilot projects as early as July 1, 2001. Although Act 253 clearly enables and supports improvements in human resources programs, the effective date of Act 253, July 1, 2002, prevents the timely initiation of any experimental modernization projects that may be ready earlier. This measure will authorize such projects to begin on July 1, 2001, eliminating an unnecessary waiting period for agencies ready to conduct pilot projects. Your Committee wishes to clarify, at the request of the Department of Human Services of the City and County of Honolulu, that the experimental modernization projects are not subject to personnel or civil service laws or rules.

Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this bill to clarify that the intention of this measure is to require that authorization to begin these experimental modernization projects is given only until Act 253, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000, takes effect as originally enacted. Specifically, new material added to section 74(c) of Act 253, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000, in section 4 of the bill, which requires full cooperation from state and county personnel agencies regarding modernization projects, has been deleted, while the substance of that same provision has been retained in section 3(c) to take effect on July 1, 2001 and to be repealed on June 30, 2002.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor and Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 24, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 24, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor and Public Employment,

____________________________

TERRY NUI YOSHINAGA, Chair