A    B    C    D    E     F    G    H    I    J    K    L    M    N    O    P    Q    R    S    T    U    V    W    X    Y    Z

Accidental death:
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.

Accumulated contributions:
The sum of all the amounts paid by, or deducted from the compensation of, a member and credited to the member’s individual account in the annuity savings fund together with regular interest thereon.

Active member:
A member who is an employee.

Actuarial equivalent:
A benefit of equal value to the accumulated contributions, annuity, pension or retirement allowance, when computed upon the basis of the actuarial tables and other assumptions approved by the board of trustees from time to time and specified in writing.

Age reduction penalty:
A reduction in the amount of a retirement benefit based on a member’s age at the time of early retirement.

Annuity:
Benefit payments for life derived from the accumulated contributions of a member.

AFC:
Average Final Compensation.  The average annual compensation as described in section 88-81, which becomes part of the formula for the computation of a retirement allowance.

B

Beneficiary:
The recipient of any benefit from the system or, as the context may indicate, the person or persons designated by a member, former member, or retirant, or as provided by law to receive the benefits payable in the event of the member’s, former member’s, or retirant’s death.

Board:
The board of trustees of the employees’ retirement system established pursuant to sections 88-23 and 88-24.

C

Corrections officers:
All regularly employed personnel who are designated as adult corrections officers pursuant to the classification of positions under chapter 76.

County:
The counties of Hawaii, Honolulu, Kauai and Maui, including their respective boards of water supply and other quasi-independent boards, commissions and agencies.

Credited service:
Prior service plus membership service.

Computed service:
Credited service (including part-time service) converted to full time equivalence for benefit computation purposes.

E

Early retirement:
The age and service required for retirement with reduced benefits based on a members age.

Elective officer or elective official:
Any person elected to a public office or appointed to fill a vacancy of an elective office, except as a delegate to a constitutional convention, in accordance with an election duly held in the State or counties under chapter 11; provided that the person receives compensation, pay, or salary for such office.

Emergency medical technician:
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.

Employee:
Any employee or officer of the State or any county who is eligible for participation in the employees’ retirement system due to their employment. The board shall determine who are employees.

Employee contributions:
A percentage amount set by sections 88-45 and 88-325 that is deducted from members salary and deposited in their account with the ERS.

Employer contributions:
A percentage amount set by section 88-122 that is required to be paid by the employer to fund the schedule of benefits provided to ERS members.

ERS:
The employees’ retirement system of the State of Hawaii.

F

Firefighters:
All regularly employed members of the State, including employees of the department of transportation who are assigned firefighting duties at state airports prior to June 3, 1978, or of the fire departments of the counties, whose principal duties are to prevent and fight fires.

FTE:
Full time equivalence

H

Hawaii Domestic Relations Order (HiDRO):
Hawaii Domestic Relations Order (HiDRO) is a domestic relations order that creates the right of an alternate payee (such as a spouse or former spouse), or assigns to an alternate payee, the right to receive all or a portion of the benefits payable with respect to an ERS member, a former member with vested benefit status, or a retirant. A court-filed domestic relations order must be qualified by the ERS to become a HiDRO before any payments can be made.

J

Judge:
A justice of the supreme court, a judge of the intermediate appellate court, a judge of the circuit court, a judge of the district court, or a district family court judge of this State.

L

Legislative officer:
A chief clerk, an assistant chief clerk, a sergeant at arms, or an assistant sergeant at arms of either house of the legislature.

M

Maximum allowance:
The highest retirement benefit payable to a retirant as determined by statute. It does not provide for a survivor benefit or any refund.

Medical board:
The board of physicians provided for in section 88-31.

Member:
Any person included in the membership of the system.

Membership service:
All service rendered by a member for which the member had made the required contributions to the system.

N

Narcotics enforcement investigators:
Those officers or employees with police powers as defined by chapter 329 who actively enforce narcotics or related statutory provisions on a full-time basis.

O

Ordinary death:
Death that is not accidental and that occurs while in service or on authorized leave without pay.

P

Pensions:
Benefit payment for life derived from money provided by the State or county, as the case may be.

Per diem worker:
A person employed and compensated on an hourly or daily basis.

Police officers:
All duly commissioned members of the police department of the several counties whose principal duties are law enforcement and who are paid on a monthly salary basis, including without limiting the generality of the foregoing, all police matrons and guards who work under the jurisdiction of such departments.

Prior service:
Service rendered by an employee to the State or counties prior to becoming a member.

Public safety investigations staff investigators:
Those employees in the investigations staff office of the department of public safety who have been conferred police powers by the director of public safety in accordance with section 353C-4 and are in the positions of investigator I to VII.

R

Regular interest:
(1) For a member who became a member before July 1, 2011, interest at four and one-half per cent a year, compounded annually; and
(2) For a member who becomes a member after June 30, 2011, interest at two per cent a year, compounded annually.

Retirant:
A member who has retired and becomes a beneficiary of the system.

Retirement allowance:
The benefit payable for life as originally computed and paid a member at the point of the member’s retirement in accordance with the retirement allowance option selected by the member, exclusive of any bonus or bonuses.

Retirement allowance options:
Alternatives enabling an ERS member to select a refund and/or to name a beneficiary (survivor) to receive a monthly benefit upon the retirant’s death.

S

Service:
Service as an employee paid by the State or county.

Service retirement:
Retirement of a member for age or length of service.

Sewer worker:
An employee of any county who is employed in specific classifications as stated in section 88-21

Survivor:
A person designated to receive a benefit upon the retirant’s death.

System:
The employees’ retirement system of the State of Hawaii.

V

Vested retirement (also referred to as deferred retirement):
The age and service required to retire for a member who leaves government service prior to becoming eligible for a retirement benefit.

W

Water safety officer:
Any regularly employed member of any county of the State whose principal duty is to stand guard over the beaches of the State and counties to ensure the safety of individuals thereon.