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HB1388 • 2026

RELATING TO RETIRANTS.

RELATING TO RETIRANTS.

Labor
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
SAYAMA, GARRETT, HOLT, KILA, LAMOSAO, LEE, M., MARTEN, MIYAKE, TAKAYAMA, TARNAS, TODD
Last action
2025-12-08
Official status
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date of July 1, 3000 appears to be an error or placeholder in the bill text.

Rules for Retirant Investigators

This bill allows retired employees to work as investigators in positions identified by the Department of Law Enforcement or the Department of the Attorney General without rejoining the Employees' Retirement System and losing their retirement benefits, under certain conditions.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows retirants to be employed as investigators if they are filling a labor shortage position.
  • Requires that these retirant investigators do not work for the state or county in the six months before starting this new job.
  • Requires employers to contribute to the pension fund based on the retirant's compensation.
  • Requires human resources directors to report annually about retirants working as investigators.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Retirants who want to work as investigators in labor shortage positions.
  • The Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of the Attorney General when identifying difficult-to-fill investigator positions.
  • Human Resources departments that must submit annual reports on retirant employment.

Terms To Know

Retirants
People who have retired from their jobs but are now working again in specific roles.
Labor shortage position
A job that is hard to fill because there aren't enough qualified people available to do it.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a retirant violates the conditions set for working as an investigator.
  • It's unclear how many positions will be identified as labor shortages by the Departments of Law Enforcement and Attorney General.
  • The effective date is July 1, 3000, which seems to be a placeholder or error in the text.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment allows retired employees to be rehired as investigators in positions identified by the Department of Law Enforcement or the Department of the Attorney General, without losing their retirement benefits, under certain conditions.

  • Adds a new category for retirees who can return to work as investigators if their position is considered a labor shortage or difficult-to-fill job.
  • Requires that these rehired retirees were not employed by the state in the six months before returning to work and had no pre-retirement agreement to return to work.
  • Necessitates that the employer contributes to the pension fund for these rehired retirees.
  • The amendment specifies a future effective date of July 1, 3000, which seems unusual and may be an error or placeholder.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  2. 2025-02-13 H

    Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kitagawa, Ward excused (3).

  3. 2025-02-13 H

    Reported from LAB (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 535) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.

  4. 2025-02-11 H

    The committee on LAB recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Sayama, Lee, M., Garrett, Kapela, Kong, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.

  5. 2025-02-07 H

    Bill scheduled to be heard by LAB on Tuesday, 02-11-25 9:00AM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  6. 2025-01-27 H

    Referred to LAB, FIN, referral sheet 4

  7. 2025-01-23 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO RETIRANTS.
Department of Law Enforcement; Department of the Attorney General; Employees' Retirement System; Retirees; Benefits; Investigators; Report
Allows a retirant to be employed without reenrollment in the Employees' Retirement System and without loss or interruption of retirement benefits if the retirant is employed as an investigator in a position identified by the Department of Law Enforcement or Department of the Attorney General as a labor shortage or difficult—to-fill position, subject to certain conditions. Requires the director of human resources of the appropriate state jurisdiction to include in the director's annual report to the Legislature, details on the employment of retirants as investigators. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB1388

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1388

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to retirants
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that in 2010, chapter
88, Hawaii Revised Statutes, was amended to clarify the circumstances under
which a retirant of the employees' retirement system may be reemployed without
the suspension of the retirant's benefits and to provide remedies for the
employees' retirement system if a retirant is re-employed in violation of that
chapter and any administrative rule adopted thereunder.

����
The legislature further finds that
there is a labor shortage that makes it difficult to fill investigator
positions in the department of law enforcement and department of the attorney
general.

����
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act
is to establish an additional category of retirants who may be employed without
re
‑
enrollment
in the employees' retirement system and without loss or interruption of
benefits.

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section 88-9,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended in the following manner:

����
1. By amending subsection (d) to
read:

����
"(d)
�
A retirant may be employed without
reenrollment in the system and suffer no loss or interruption of benefits
provided by the system or under chapter 87A if the retirant is employed:

����
(1)
�
As an elective
officer pursuant to section 88-42.6(c) or as a member of the legislature
pursuant to section 88-73(d);

����
(2)
�
As a juror or
precinct official;

����
(3)
�
As a part-time or
temporary employee excluded from membership in the system pursuant to section
88-43, as a session employee excluded from membership in the system pursuant to
section 88-54.2, as the president and chief executive officer of the Hawaii tourism
authority excluded from membership in the system pursuant to section 201B-2, or
as any other employee expressly excluded by law from membership in the system;
provided that:

���������
(A)
�
The retirant was
not employed by the State or a county during the six calendar months prior to
the first day of reemployment; and

���������
(B)
�
No agreement was
entered into between the State or a county and the retirant, prior to the
retirement of the retirant, for the return to work by the retirant after
retirement;

����
(4)
�
In a position
identified by the appropriate jurisdiction as a labor shortage or
difficult-to-fill position; provided that:

���������
(A)
�
The retirant was
not employed by the State or a county during the twelve calendar months prior
to the first day of reemployment;

���������
(B)
�
No agreement was
entered into between the State or a county and the retirant, prior to the
retirement of the retirant, for the return to work by the retirant after
retirement; and

���������
(C)
�
Each employer
shall contribute to the pension accumulation fund the required percentage of
the rehired retirant's compensation to amortize the system's unfunded actuarial
accrued liability; [
or
]

����
(5)
�
As a teacher or an
administrator in a teacher shortage area identified by the department of
education or in a charter school or as a mentor for new classroom teachers;
provided that:

���������
(A)
�
The retirant was
not employed by the State or a county during the twelve calendar months prior
to the first day of reemployment;

���������
(B)
�
No agreement was
entered into between the State or a county and the retirant prior to the
retirement of the retirant, for the return to work by the retirant after
retirement; and

���������
(C)
�
The department of
education or charter school shall contribute to the pension accumulation fund
the required percentage of the rehired retirant's compensation to amortize the
system's unfunded actuarial accrued liability[
.
]
; or

����
(6)
�
As an
investigator identified by the department of law enforcement or department of
the attorney general as a labor shortage or difficult
-
to
-
fill
position; provided that:

���������
(A)
�
The
retirant was not employed by the State or a county during the six calendar
months prior to the first day of reemployment;

���������
(B)
�
No
agreement was entered into between the State or a county and the retirant,
prior to the retirement of the retirant, for the return to work by the retirant
after retirement; and

���������
(C)
�
The
department of law enforcement or department of the attorney general, as
applicable, shall contribute to the pension accumulation fund the required
percentage of the rehired retirant's compensation to amortize the system's unfunded
actuarial accrued liability.
"

����
2. By amending subsection (f) to
read:

����
"
(f)
�
No later than twenty days prior to the
convening of each regular legislative session, the director of human resources
of the appropriate state jurisdiction or the human resources management chief
executive of each county shall submit an annual report to the legislature
detailing the employment of retirants under paragraphs (4) [
and
]
,

(5)
, and (6)
of subsection (d), including the number and positions of
retirants."

����
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, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Department
of Law Enforcement; Department of the Attorney General; Employees' Retirement
System; Retirees; Benefits; Investigators; Report

Description:

Allows a
retirant to be employed without reenrollment in the Employees' Retirement
System and without loss or interruption of retirement benefits if the retirant
is employed as an investigator in a position identified by the Department of
Law Enforcement or Department of the Attorney General as a labor shortage or
difficult�to-fill position, subject to certain conditions.
�
Requires the director of human resources of
the appropriate state jurisdiction to include in the director's annual report
to the Legislature, details on the employment of retirants as investigators.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.