STAND. COM. REP. NO.  789

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 1364

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1364 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE BUDGET,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to promote greater transparency in the budgetary operations of state government by:

     (1)  Requiring the Governor or Director of Finance to submit a report to the Legislature for each restriction of an appropriation authorized by the Legislature; and

     (2)  Establishing that failure by the Governor or Director of Finance to submit the report required for any particular restriction shall result in the immediate release of funds for the affected appropriation.

     The Office of the Governor opposed this bill.  The Department of Budget and Finance submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Deleting the requirement for the immediate release of the restricted funds if the Governor or Director of Finance fails to submit the required restricted funding report; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1364, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1364, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair