Thursday, February 13, 2020

REPRESENTATIVE YAMANE'S HAWAIʻI NATIONAL GUARD BILL APPROVED BY HOUSE COMMITTEE

Measure supports retirement benefits for guard members
Honolulu, HawaiʻiAn important bill supporting Hawaiʻi’s local national guard members and their families was introduced this legislative session by Representative Ryan I. Yamane (Mililani, Waipio Gentry, Waikele) and was unanimously passed today by the House Committee on Labor & Public Employment.
HB 2485 requires the State Employees Retirement System (ERS) to conduct a study and recommend state retirement benefits for Hawaiʻi National Guard Members who are activated under state active duty orders but are not state or county employees.
The bill was introduced in response to recent state active duty orders related to the 2018 Kauaʻi disaster and lava events. In 2018, Hawaiʻi’s National Guard members were activated multiple times to provide disaster response under the Governor’s emergency proclamations. These emergency proclamations and the State Active Duty Orders were extended multiple times, likewise, extending Hawaiʻi National Guard activations and disaster response for lengthy periods of time.
 “Some of these 2018 state active duty activations led Hawaiʻi National Guard members to serve as long as six months of continued disaster response services, away from their private jobs, and their families,” said Representative Yamane. “With the rise of disaster events in Hawaiʻi and anticipated increased risk due to Hawaiʻi’s changing climate, we may need to activate our Hawaiʻi National Guard members more in the future to serve as Hawaiʻi’s disaster responders. If Hawaiʻi’s National Guard is going to be our first responders in disaster events in our local communities, then they deserve Hawaiʻi state retirement benefits for their service to our communities and families.”
The amended bill now moves to the full House for second reading.
To see all bills introduced during the 30th Legislature by Rep. Yamane as the first primary introducer, go to https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/advreports/advreport.aspx?report=intro&year=2020&leg=Yamane&rpt_type=first_pri

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