STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO.1000

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1606

S.D. 1

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1606, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LEGISLATIVE ETHICS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to enact a legislative ethics law.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Hawaii State Ethics Commission, Hawaii Pro-Democracy Initiative, and The League of Women Voters of Hawaii.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Requires legislators to disclose to the Campaign Spending Commission every fundraiser, regardless of cost, held thirty days prior to and during a legislative session;

(2) Creates a conflict of interest provision within the State Ethics Code for voting by legislators;

(3) Requires the establishment of legislative ethics committees within the State Senate and State House of Representatives to advise on and enforce legislative conflicts of interests laws and rules; and

(4) Requires financial disclosure from legislators of sources and amounts of annual income in excess of $25,000 from any single source, or the source and amount of annual income that represents 25 per cent or more of a legislator's annual income from sources other than the legislator's legislative salary.

Your Committee agrees with the Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations that this measure would not be unduly burdensome for legislators, and will increase transparency within the Legislature, and as a result, public confidence in the legislative process will be enhanced.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1606, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs,

		____________________________ COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair