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HB160 • 2026

RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND.

RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND.

Labor
Active

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

Sponsor
SAYAMA, LEE, M.
Last action
2025-12-08
Official status
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how the parties will be required to implement and effectuate the final agreement.

Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund Changes

This bill allows disputes about the amounts of state and county contributions to the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund to be settled through arbitration, and it removes a rule that prohibits strikes by union members over these contribution amounts.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes rules so that disagreements about contribution amounts for the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund can be solved by arbitration.
  • Removes the ban on strikes by union members if they are arguing about how much money should go into the trust fund.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Unions and employers in Hawaii who negotiate health benefits for workers.
  • The state of Hawaii and its counties, which contribute money to the trust fund.
  • Workers covered by collective bargaining agreements involving the trust fund.

Terms To Know

Arbitration
A way to solve disagreements where a neutral person makes a decision instead of going to court.
Trust Fund
A special account that holds money for specific purposes, like providing health benefits.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much the state and counties should contribute.
  • It is unclear what will happen if the legislature disagrees with the recommendations made by the parties involved.
  • This bill has been carried over to the next session, so its final status is still uncertain.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  2. 2025-02-04 H

    The committee(s) on LAB recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.

  3. 2025-01-31 H

    Bill scheduled to be heard by LAB on Tuesday, 02-04-25 9:00AM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  4. 2025-01-21 H

    Referred to LAB, FIN, referral sheet 1

  5. 2025-01-16 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

  6. 2025-01-14 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND.
EUTF; Collective Bargaining; Contributions; Disputes; Impasses; Arbitration
Allows impasses and disputes relating to the amounts of State and county contributions to the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund to be resolved by arbitration. Repeals the prohibition against strikes by members of bargaining units on the issue of the amounts of State and county contributions to the Trust Fund.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB160

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

160

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating
to the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund
.

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

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section 89-9, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsection (e) to read as follows:

����
"(e)
�
Negotiations relating to contributions to the
Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund shall be for the purpose of
agreeing upon the amounts [
which
]
that
the State and counties
shall contribute under section 87A-32, toward the payment of the costs for a
health benefits plan, as defined in section 87A-1, and group life insurance
benefits, and the parties shall not be bound by the amounts contributed under
prior agreements[
; provided that section 89-11 for the resolution of
disputes by way of arbitration shall not be available to resolve impasses or
disputes relating to the amounts the State and counties shall contribute to the
Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund
]."

����
SECTION

2
.
�
Section 89-11,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (g) to read as
follows:

����
"(g)
�

The decision of the arbitration panel shall be final and binding upon
the parties on all provisions submitted to the arbitration panel.
�
[
If the parties have reached agreement
with respect to the amounts of contributions by the State and counties to the
Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund by the tenth working day after
the arbitration panel issues its decision, the final and binding agreement of
the parties on all provisions shall consist of the panel's decision and the
amounts of contributions agreed to by the parties.
�
If the parties have not reached agreement
with respect to the amounts of contributions by the State and counties to the
Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund by the close of business on
the tenth working day after the arbitration panel issues its decision, the
parties shall have five days to submit their respective recommendations for
such contributions to the legislature, if it is in session, and if the
legislature is not in session, the parties shall submit their respective
recommendations for such contributions to the legislature during the next
session of the legislature.
�
In such
event, the final and binding agreement of the parties on all provisions shall
consist of the panel's decision and the amounts of contributions established by
the legislature by enactment, after the legislature has considered the
recommendations for such contributions by the parties.
�
It is strictly understood that no member of a
bargaining unit subject to this subsection shall be allowed to participate in a
strike on the issue of the amounts of contributions by the State and counties
to the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund.
]
�
The parties shall take whatever action is
necessary to carry out and effectuate the final and binding agreement.
�
The parties may, at any time and by mutual
agreement, amend or modify the panel's decision.

����
Agreements reached pursuant to the decision
of an arbitration panel and the amounts of contributions by the State and
counties to the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund[
, as
provided herein,
] shall not be subject to ratification by the employees
concerned.
�
All items requiring any
moneys for implementation shall be subject to appropriations by the appropriate
legislative bodies and the employer shall submit all [
such
]
applicable

items within ten days after the date [
on which
] the agreement is entered
into [
as provided herein,
] to the appropriate legislative bodies."

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

����
SECTION
4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its
approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

EUTF; Collective
Bargaining; Contributions; Disputes; Impasses; Arbitration

Description:

Allows impasses
and disputes relating to the amounts of State and county contributions to the
Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund to be resolved by
arbitration.
�
Repeals the prohibition
against strikes by members of bargaining units on the issue of the amounts of
State and county contributions to the Trust Fund.

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not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.