Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes > Chapter 88 > Part II > BENEFITS

• Accidental death: means death that is the natural and proximate result of an accident occurring at some definite time and place while the member was employed in a position in which all contributions required to be made to the employees' retirement system by the employee or the employer, or both, have been made, was in the actual performance of duty, or due to the result of some occupational hazard, and not caused by wilful negligence on the part of the member. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 88-21
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Average base pay: means the total base pay included in a member's average final compensation, divided by the number of years used to determine average final compensation. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 88-21
• Average final compensation non-base pay ratio: means the average non-base pay divided by the average base pay. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 88-21
• Base pay: means the normal periodic payments of money for service, the right to which accrues on a regular basis in proportion to the service performed; recurring differentials; and elective salary reduction contributions under sections 125, 403(b), and 457(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 88-21
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Comparison period: means those years in the ten years of credited service prior to termination of service that are not included in the period for determining a member's average final compensation or, if the member has less than ten years of credited service prior to termination of service, the years of the member's credited service that are not included in the determination of the member's average final compensation. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 88-21
• Comparison period non-base pay ratio: means the comparison period average non-base pay divided by the comparison period average base pay. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 88-21
• compensation: as used in this part means:
  (A) Normal periodic payments of money for service the right to which accrues on a regular basis in proportion to the service performed;
  (B) Overtime, differentials, and supplementary payments;
  (C) Bonuses and lump sum salary supplements;
  (D) Elective salary reduction contributions under sections 125, 403(b), and 457(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; and
  (E) Retroactive payments of those purposes and nature authorized in subparagraphs (A) through (D), and certified as compensation pursuant to section 88-64;
  (2) Bonuses and lump sum salary supplements shall be deemed earned when payable; provided that bonuses or lump sum salary supplements in excess of one-twelfth of compensation for the twelve months before the month in which the bonus or lump sum salary supplement is payable, exclusive of overtime, bonuses, and lump sum salary supplements, shall be deemed earned:

  (A) During the period agreed-upon by the employer and employee, but in any event over a period of no less than twelvemonths; or

  (B) In the absence of an agreement between the employer and the employee, over the twelvemonths before the date on which the bonus or lump sum salary supplement is payable; and
  (3) Retroactive payments shall be deemed earned when it would have been earned, as determined by the system pursuant to section 88-64. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 88-21.5
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• county: includes the city and county of Honolulu. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-22
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{Source: OCC}
• Emergency medical technician: means a person regularly employed by the city and county of Honolulu's emergency services department whose principal duty is to provide emergency medical services and who is licensed to provide emergency medical services. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 88-21
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• federal-aid: as used in this part means supplies, allowances of damages to state or county property by federal agencies, grants-in-aid, allocation of federal funds, to be matched by state funds, or otherwise, the furnishing of equipment and supplies and all other aids, grants, furnishings, assistance, advancements, and reimbursements that may be provided by federal legislation, present or future, and which may be available to the State or its political subdivisions. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 29-11
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Legatee: A beneficiary of a decedent
• Legislative officer: means a chief clerk, an assistant chief clerk, a sergeant at arms, or an assistant sergeant at arms of either house of the legislature. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 88-21
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• month: means a calendar month; and the word "year" a calendar year. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-20
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Sewer worker: means an employee of any county who is employed in any of the following classifications or classifications performing substantially the same work under classification titles not listed in this definition:
  (1) Sewer maintenance helper or wastewater collection system helper;
  (2) Sewer maintenance repairer or wastewater collection system repairer;
  (3) Sewer maintenance working supervisor;
  (4) Sewer maintenance supervisor I or II or wastewater collection system supervisor I or II;
  (5) Wastewater collection system inspection supervisor;
  (6) Wastewater collection system district supervisor;
  (7) Wastewater collection system field services supervisor;
  (8) Gas detector;
  (9) Gas detector helper;
  (10) Gas detection supervisor;
  (11) Cesspool worker;
  (12) Cesspool pumping equipment operator I or II;
  (13) Cesspool pumping supervisor; or

  in any combination of these classifications. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 88-21

• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.