Bill > HB2359

This bill establishes a five-year pilot program allowing retired state employees, referred to as "retirants," to be rehired for certain hard-to-staff positions for up to one-year terms, with the possibility of renewal. This program aims to address workforce shortages by enabling the state to utilize the institutional knowledge of former employees. Under this program, rehired retirants will not be enrolled in the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (HEBTF), meaning they will not receive health benefits through that fund, and their pension benefits from the Employees' Retirement System (ERS) will not be interrupted. However, their employers will be required to contribute to the ERS on their behalf. The Department of Human Resources Development (DHRD) will be responsible for submitting a report to the Legislature detailing the program's implementation, including the number of retirants rehired, employment durations, and any cost savings, and will make recommendations on whether the program should be made permanent. This pilot program is set to sunset on June 30, 2031, and the bill will take effect on July 1, 3000, with the repeal and reenactment of the affected statutes on the sunset date.