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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
242 |
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TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE RESOLUTION
urging the members of the house of representatives to support amendments TO the House of representatives rules and administrative and financial manual to impose a duty of a member to discourage permanent and session employees of the house of representatives from testifying before the legislature.
WHEREAS, elected officials and appointed officers are responsible for ensuring that their employees are held to the highest standards of conduct; and
WHEREAS, the increasing need for transparency and accountability of the Legislature and its employees directly correlates with the responsibilities and duties of the members of the House of Representatives and its appointed officers; and
WHEREAS, during the current economic crisis, the appearance of impropriety and misuse of work time by legislative employees may raise questions from fellow legislators and staff, as well as the general public, about the misappropriation of funds for salaries of employees of the House of Representatives;
WHEREAS, it appears to be a conflict of interest and contrary to the duties listed in section 20.9 of the House Administrative and Financial Manual for employees of the House of Representatives to testify before the Legislature as individual citizens or members of public interest groups; and
WHEREAS, the Rules of the House of Representatives and the House Administrative and Financial Manual do not impose a duty upon members of the House of Representatives to discourage their permanent and session employees from engaging in practices that may be viewed as a conflict of interest; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, that the members of the House of Representatives are urged to support amendments to the House of Representatives Rules and the Administrative and Financial Manual, to impose a duty upon the members to discourage any of their permanent and session employees from testifying before the Legislature during working hours, as defined by section 22.1 of the Administrative and Financial Manual, unless the employee files a request for vacation or unpaid leave of absence, which qualifies under chapter 23 of the House of Representatives Administrative and Financial Manual, with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the request is approved prior to time the employee testifies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the amendments to the House of Representatives Rules and the Administrative and Financial Manual include a requirement that any approved request for vacation or leave of absence for the purpose of allowing an employee of the House of Representatives to testify be distributed in advance to members of the committee before which the employee will testify; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Speaker, the Majority Leader, the Minority Leader, the Chief Clerk, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and each member of the House of Representatives.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Rules of the House of Representatives; House Administrative and Financial Manual; Legislative Employees