RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, high ethical standards among the members of the Legislature are essential to assure the trust, respect, and confidence of the people of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, in order to preserve the public's confidence in state government, the Legislature should conduct its business in a manner that preserves the integrity of the legislative process; and

WHEREAS, the public's commitment to a part-time citizen Legislature requires that legislators be drawn from all parts of society and implies that legislators are expected and permitted to earn outside income; and

WHEREAS, Article III, section 7 of the Hawaii State Constitution states that no member of the Legislature shall be held to answer before any other tribunal for any statement made or action taken in the exercise of the legislator's legislative function; and

WHEREAS, members of the Legislature are not covered by the conflict of interests law set forth in Hawaii Revised Statutes, chapter 84, the State Ethics Code, which requires recusal when a conflict of interest arises; and

WHEREAS, under both the Hawaii State Constitution and the Hawaii State Ethics Code, the regulation of the conflicts of interests of members of the Legislature is left to the Legislature itself; and

WHEREAS, the lack of clear conflicts of interests standards that are applicable to members of the Legislature raises concerns among the members of the public and undermines the public's confidence in state government; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, the House of Representatives concurring, that the respective houses of the Legislature undertake a study to ascertain what laws, rules, or other measures the Legislature may adopt to address the conflicts of interests of its members; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each house complete and circulate to its respective members and the members of the public the results of the study, no later than twenty days prior to the commencing of the Regular Session of 2002; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.