HB2688 HD1

SECTION 1. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $7,694,360 or so much thereof as may be necessary for defraying any and all session and nonsession expenses of the senate up to and including June 30, 2009, including the 2008 regular session, twenty-fourth legislature of the State of Hawaii, and pre‑session expenses and the expenses of any committee or committees established during the interim between the 2008 and 2009 regular sessions.

The sum appropriated in this section shall be expended by the senate.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $11,670,163 or so much thereof as may be necessary for defraying any and all session and nonsession expenses of the house of representatives up to and including June 30, 2009, including the 2008 regular session, twenty-fourth legislature of the State of Hawaii, and pre-session expenses and the expenses of any committee or committees established during the interim between the 2008 and 2009 regular sessions.

The sum appropriated in this section shall be expended by the house of representatives.

SECTION 3. Payment of expenses of the senate during the interim between the 2008 and 2009 regular sessions shall be made only with the approval of the president of the senate, and payment of expenses of the house of representatives during the interim between the 2008 and 2009 sessions shall be made only with the approval of the speaker of the house of representatives.

SECTION 4. Before January 21, 2009, the senate and the house of representatives shall each have their accounts audited, and a full report of the respective audits shall be presented to the senate and to the house of representatives convening on January 21, 2009.

SECTION 5. Unless otherwise prescribed by law, the expenses of any member of the legislature while traveling abroad on official business of the legislature shall be $130 a day as authorized by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives, respectively.

SECTION 6. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $3,945,977 or so much thereof as may be necessary to the office of the auditor for the following expenses:

(1) The sum of $2,910,685 for defraying the expenses of the office of the auditor during fiscal year 2008‑2009;

(2) The sum of $885,292 for defraying the expenses of the office of the state ethics commission during fiscal year 2008-2009; and

(3) The sum of $150,000 during fiscal year 2008-2009 for:

(A) Performing special studies;

(B) Improving capabilities for planning, programming, and budgeting;

(C) Fulfilling other special requests made of the auditor by the legislature or jointly by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives;

(D) Legislative studies and contractual services for those studies; and

(E) Such other purposes as may be determined by the joint action of the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives.

The sum appropriated in this section shall be expended by the auditor.

SECTION 7. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $2,429,360 or so much thereof as may be necessary to the office of the auditor during fiscal year 2008-2009 to be deposited into the audit revolving fund established pursuant to section 23-3.6, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

SECTION 8. There is appropriated out of the audit revolving fund the sum of $5,600,438 or so much thereof as may be necessary to the office of the auditor during fiscal year 2008-2009 for the auditor to conduct or complete its audit functions as provided by law.

The sum appropriated in this section shall be expended by the auditor.

SECTION 9. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $3,449,623 or so much thereof as may be necessary to the legislative reference bureau for defraying the expenses of the legislative reference bureau during fiscal year 2008-2009, including equipment relating to computer systems programming and operations.

The sum appropriated in this section shall be expended by the legislative reference bureau.

SECTION 10. Notwithstanding chapter 103D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the legislative reference bureau shall contract with the University of Hawaii to conduct a study of the State's environmental review process. The study shall:

(1) Examine the effectiveness of the current environmental review system created by chapters 341, 343, and 344, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Assess the unique environmental, economic, social, and cultural issues in Hawaii that should be incorporated into an environmental review system;

(3) Address larger concerns and interests related to sustainable development, global environmental change, and disaster-risk reduction; and

(4) Develop a strategy, including legislative recommendations, for modernizing Hawaii's environmental review system so that it meets international and national best-practices standards.

In addition, the study shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of any other act that addresses the comprehensive study of the environmental review process described in this section.

The study shall be submitted to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2010 or by an earlier date expressly set by any other relevant Act.

There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $300,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary to the legislative reference bureau during fiscal year 2008-2009 to contract with the University of Hawaii to conduct the study required by this section.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the legislative reference bureau for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 11. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,060,728 or so much thereof as may be necessary to the office of the ombudsman for defraying the expenses of the office during fiscal year 2008‑2009.

The sum appropriated in this section shall be expended by the ombudsman.

SECTION 12. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the following sums or so much thereof as may be necessary for defraying the expenses of the legislative information system:

(1) $900,000 to the senate; and

(2) $900,000 to the house of representatives.

This appropriation shall be used to pay for hardware, software, consultants, installation, materials, supplies, and other related costs associated with the legislative information system that have been or will be incurred.

The sums appropriated in this section shall be expended by the senate and the house of representatives, respectively.

SECTION 13. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $175,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for the legislative broadcast program, including the production and distribution of television broadcasts of legislative proceedings.

The sum appropriated in this section shall be expended by the legislature for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 14. Except for moneys in the audit revolving fund, as of the close of business on June 30, 2009, the unexpended or unencumbered balance of any appropriation made by this Act shall lapse into the general fund.

SECTION 15. Each section of this Act is declared to be severable from the remainder of this Act.

SECTION 16. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2688
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII