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

SB2117

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2117

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

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."

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SECTION 3.
�

Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.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

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SECTION 4.
�

This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

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.