Bill Text: HI HCR74 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii House Concurrent Resolution 74 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Urging The Employees' Retirement System To Enforce The Issuance Of Fines To State And County Departments And Agencies That Fail To Submit Audited Retired Employee Unused Sick Leave Credits And Other Personnel Information To The Employees' Retirement System In A Timely Manner.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-03-13 - Referred to LAB, FIN, referral sheet 39 [HCR74 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2018-HCR74-Introduced.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	74
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

URGING the EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM TO ENFORCE THE ISSUANCE OF FINES TO STATE AND COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES THAT FAIL TO SUBMIT AUDITED RETIRED EMPLOYEE UNUSED SICK LEAVE CREDITS AND OTHER PERSONNEL INFORMATION TO THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM IN A TIMELY MANNER.

WHEREAS, to enable the prompt and accurate processing of full pension benefits to retired state and county employees, the Employees' Retirement System (ERS) relies on state and county departments and agencies to submit retired employee personnel and payroll records to the ERS in a timely manner; and

WHEREAS, the ERS uses the information provided by the state and county departments and agencies to calculate retirees' pension benefits; and

WHEREAS, according to the ERS, when state and county employees retire, retirees are paid an estimated retirement benefit by the ERS until the system receives and audits the retired employee's final personnel and payroll records; and

WHEREAS, an employee's estimated pension benefit is usually less than the employee's actual pension benefit; and

WHEREAS, retired employee personnel and payroll records that are submitted to the ERS late, incomplete, or in a format that requires manual entry into the ERS computer system delay finalization and payment of retiree employment benefits; and

WHEREAS, there are complaints of delays in payment of employees' retiree pension benefits that have dragged on for months and sometimes years, which adversely affect the livelihood and well-being of retirees and their families and dependents; and

WHEREAS, according to the ERS, a retired employee's estimated pension is finalized following the ERS's receipt and review of the retired employee's payroll and personnel records, the audited report of sick leave credits from departments or agencies where the retired employee was employed, and the amount of the retired employee's vacation pay; and

WHEREAS, all state and county agencies are urged to lessen the impediments that prevent the timely processing and payment of pension benefits to retired employees; and

WHEREAS, Section 88-74.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, allows the ERS to assess $10 for each month or fraction thereof that a department or an agency fails to provide requested information for unused sick leave balances and lump sum vacation payments within 90 days of an employee's retirement, and for payroll or personnel information within 30 days of an employee's retirement, in order to calculate retiree pension benefits in a timely manner; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, the Senate concurring, that the ERS is urged to enforce the assessments against the state and county departments and agencies that fail to provide requested information for unused sick leave balances and lump sum vacation payments within 90 days of an employee's retirement, and for payroll or personnel information within 30 days of an employee's retirement, in order to calculate retiree pension benefits in a timely manner; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that state and county departments and agencies are urged to submit employee personnel and payroll records to the ERS in a timely manner to enable the processing and prompt payment of full retirement benefits to retired state and county employees; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu; Mayors of the Counties of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui; Chair of the ERS Board of Trustees; and Executive Director of the ERS.