STAND. COM. REP. NO. 22

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 302

       H.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 302, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS TO PROVIDE FOR THE EXPENSES OF THE LEGISLATURE, THE AUDITOR, THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU, AND THE OMBUDSMAN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to provide for the expenses of the Legislature and its service agencies.

     More specifically, this measure provides for the expenses of the Legislature, Office of the Auditor, Hawaii State Ethics Commission, Office of the Ombudsman, Legislative Reference Bureau, and the legislative broadcast program.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Senate Clerk, the Office of the Auditor, the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Hawaii State Ethics Commission, the Ombudsman, and one concerned individual.

     Your Committee finds that the reductions made in House Draft 1 by the House of Representatives to the operating budgets of the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Auditor, and the Legislative Reference Bureau were made with the full concurrence of the Senate and represent the Legislature's commitment to facing the State's dire economic outlook during the next fiscal biennium.

     This measure, as amended, represents a reduction of $2,238,268 in the 2009-2010 budget for the legislative branch as compared to 2008-2009, and includes a $1,735,679 reduction in the Legislature's proposed budget.  Your Committee is very cognizant of the necessity of such cuts and will continue in the next few months to make responsible and difficult budgetary decisions in order to balance the state budget.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 302, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair