STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2436

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2145

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2145 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO APPROPRIATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Governor to release funds appropriated in all measures enacted into law by legislative override of a veto by the Governor within ninety days after the veto is overridden by the Legislature.

     The Department of Budget and Finance submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

     Your Committee finds that this measure is a means of ensuring that when a bill containing an appropriation is passed through the Legislature as part of a veto override, the policy considerations of the Legislature are not undermined by the executive branch through the failure of the executive branch to release funds.  Your Committee understands the concerns raised by the Department of Budget and Finance, however, your Committee finds that this measure should be passed out to encourage further discussion.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the ninety day requirement for the Governor to release funds to one hundred eighty days; and

     (2)  Creating a new section in chapter 37, Hawaii Revised Statutes, rather than amending section 37-74, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     Your Committee extended the time period requirement for the Governor to release funds to address concerns raised by the Department of Budget and Finance that it needs some flexibility to address sudden downturns in the State's revenues.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2145, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2145, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair