Report Title:

Employees' Retirement System; Attorneys

Description:

Authorizes the employees' retirement system to employ or retain attorneys independent of the attorney general to provide legal services for the employees' retirement system.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2909

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Chapter 88, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§88- System attorneys. (a) The board may appoint or retain by contract one or more attorneys, who are independent of the attorney general, to provide legal services for the system, including:

(1) Representation for the system in civil actions to which the authority is a party, either directly or through the acts or omissions of its officers or employees;

(2) Advice and assistance to ensure the lawful and efficient administration and operation of the system;

(3) Review and approval of documents relating to the acquisition or sale of assets by the system; and

(4) Other legal service specified by the board.

The board may fix the compensation of the attorneys appointed pursuant to this section. Attorneys appointed or retained by contract shall be exempt from chapters 76 and 89.

(b) Nothing in this section shall preclude the board from requesting and securing legal services from the attorney general and the department of the attorney general, for the system, for the board or its members, or for the system's officers and employees, upon mutual agreement."

SECTION 2. Section 28-8.3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

1. By amending subsection (a) to read:

"(a) No department of the State other than the attorney general may employ or retain any attorney, by contract or otherwise, for the purpose of representing the State or the department in any litigation, rendering legal counsel to the department, or drafting legal documents for the department; provided that the foregoing provision shall not apply to the employment or retention of attorneys:

(1) By the public utilities commission, the labor and industrial relations appeals board, and the Hawaii labor relations board;

(2) By any court or judicial or legislative office of the State;

(3) By the legislative reference bureau;

(4) By any compilation commission that may be constituted from time to time;

(5) By the real estate commission for any action involving the real estate recovery fund;

(6) By the contractors license board for any action involving the contractors recovery fund;

(7) By the trustees for any action involving the travel agency recovery fund;

(8) By the office of Hawaiian affairs;

(9) By the department of commerce and consumer affairs for the enforcement of violations of chapters 480 and 485;

(10) As grand jury counsel;

(11) By the Hawaiian home lands trust individual claims review panel;

(12) By the Hawaii health systems corporation or any of its facilities;

(13) By the auditor;

(14) By the office of ombudsman;

(15) By the insurance division;

(16) By the University of Hawaii;

(17) By the Kahoolawe island reserve commission;

(18) By the division of consumer advocacy; [or]

(19) By the employees' retirement system; or

[(19)] (20) By a department, in the event the attorney general, for reasons deemed by the attorney general good and sufficient, declines, to employ or retain an attorney for a department; provided that the governor thereupon waives the provision of this section."

2. By amending subsection (c) to read:

"(c) Every attorney employed by any department on a full-time basis, except an attorney employed by the public utilities commission, the labor and industrial relations appeals board, the Hawaii labor relations board, the office of Hawaiian affairs, the Hawaii health systems corporation, the department of commerce and consumer affairs in prosecution of consumer complaints, insurance division, the division of consumer advocacy, the University of Hawaii, the employees' retirement system, the Hawaiian home lands trust individual claims review panel, or as grand jury counsel, shall be a deputy attorney general."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2004.

INTRODUCED BY:

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