STAND. COM. REP. NO. 68

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     S.B. No. 1313

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Labor and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 1313 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to enable the Board of Trustees (Board) of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (Trust Fund) to establish appropriate salaries for the Administrator and Chief Investment Officer of the Trust Fund.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii-Employer Union Health Benefits Trust Fund.

 

     Your Committee finds that this administration-sponsored measure will allow the Board of the Trust Fund to exercise the same salary-setting power for certain managerial positions as the Board of Trustees of the Employees' Retirement System.  According to oral testimony from the Board, although it currently sets the salary of its Administrator, this duty is not outlined in statute.  By clarifying statutory language to reflect the Board's ability to set a competitive salary for its quality managers, such as the Chief Investment Officer, your Committee anticipates an increase in the hiring and retention of qualified individuals to administer the day-to-day activities of the Trust Fund.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1313, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1313, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

SHARON MORIWAKI, Chair