Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1236 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase the legislative expense allowance.

Your Committee notes that the legislative expense allowance was last increased in 1987. Since then, according to the Department of Labor consumer price index, inflation has risen at a rate of over sixty per cent. Your Committee finds that one of the primary purposes for the expense allowance is to permit legislators to communicate with their constituents. Accordingly, raising the legislative expense allowance by fifty per cent is necessary and reasonable. Further, tying future increases in the allowance to any increases to legislators' salaries will keep the expense allowance abreast with inflation.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making it effective at the start of the next regular legislative session, and making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of style and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1236, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1236, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.