Report Title:

Office of Veterans' Services; Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home

 

Description:

Transfers Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home from department of health, Hawaii health systems corporation, to department of defense, office of veterans' services.

 


THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1212

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

relating to veterans.

 

 

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

 


SECTION 1.  In a continuing effort to provide our State's veterans with the optimum of care and services in gratitude for their sacrifices, the legislature finds that the Yukio Okutsu state veterans home may better serve veterans on the island of Hawaii if it was transferred from the Hawaii health services corporation to the office of veterans' services, along with the position (FTE) of state government liaison officer, as required by federal law.

The purpose of this Act is to transfer the Yukio Okutsu state veterans home from the Hawaii health systems corporation to the office of veterans' services, along with the position of state government liaison officer.

SECTION 2.  The Yukio Okutsu state veterans home, Hilo, Hawaii, is transferred from the department of health, Hawaii health systems corporation, to the department of defense, office of veterans' services, along with the position (FTE) of state government liaison officer.

     SECTION 3.  All rights, powers, functions, and duties of the department of health, Hawaii health systems corporation, relating to the Yukio Okutsu state veterans home, are transferred to the department of defense, office of veterans' services.

     All officers and employees whose functions are transferred by this Act shall be transferred with their functions and shall continue to perform their regular duties upon their transfer, subject to the state personnel laws and this Act.

     No officer or employee of the State having tenure shall suffer any loss of salary, seniority, prior service credit, vacation, sick leave, or other employee benefit or privilege as a consequence of this Act, and such officer or employee may be transferred or appointed to a civil service position without the necessity of examination; provided that the officer or employee possesses the minimum qualifications for the position to which transferred or appointed; and provided that subsequent changes in status may be made pursuant to applicable civil service and compensation laws.

     An officer or employee of the State who does not have tenure and who may be transferred or appointed to a civil service position as a consequence of this Act shall become a civil service employee without the loss of salary, seniority, prior service credit, vacation, sick leave, or other employee benefits or privileges and without the necessity of examination; provided that such officer or employee possesses the minimum qualifications for the position to which transferred or appointed.

     If an office or position held by an officer or employee having tenure is abolished, the officer or employee shall not thereby be separated from public employment, but shall remain in the employment of the State with the same pay and classification and shall be transferred to some other office or position for which the officer or employee is eligible under the personnel laws of the State as determined by the head of the department or the governor.

     SECTION 4.  All appropriations, records, equipment, machines, files, supplies, contracts, books, papers, documents, maps, and other personal property heretofore made, used, acquired, or held by the department of health, Hawaii health systems corporation, relating to the functions transferred to the department of defense, office of veterans' services, shall be transferred with the functions to which they relate.

     SECTION 5.  It is the intent of this Act not to jeopardize the receipt of any federal aid nor to impair the obligation of the State or any agency thereof to the holders of any bond issued by the State or by any such agency, and to the extent, and only to the extent, necessary to effectuate this intent, the governor may modify the strict provisions of this Act, but shall promptly report any such modification with reasons therefor to the legislature at its next session thereafter for review by the legislature.

     SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2010.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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