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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
242 |
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TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009 |
H.D. 1 |
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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 ENSURE THEIR permanent and session employees of the house of representatives are engaging in practices that are not viewed as a conflict of interest to the scope of their duties by testifying before the legislature during normal business hours.
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 permanent and session legislative employees, under the direct supervision of a House Member 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 permanent and session employees under the direct supervision of a Member 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 ensure their permanent and session employees are engaging in practices that are not 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 ensure their permanent and session employees are engaging in practices that are not viewed as a conflict of interest to the scope of their duties by 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 the time the employee testifies.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that due to time constraints or waiver of the 48-hour notification, session and permanent legislative employees may omit filing paperwork with Speaker's office and testify before the Legislature under their member's own discretion to ensure said employee makes up requisite missed work time.
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, or lack thereof, 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.
Rules of the House of Representatives; House Administrative and Financial Manual; Legislative Employees