STAND. COM. REP. NO. 604

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 659

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 S.B. No. 659 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE FUNDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to amend the disclosure requirements for recipients of monetary awards by the State.

     More specifically, this measure requires the Department of Budget and Finance, in collaboration with the Department of Accounting and General Services, to establish, implement, and maintain a website that includes the following information for each award by the State:

     (1)  The name of the entity receiving the award;

     (2)  The amount of the award;

     (3)  Information on the award, including transaction type, funding agency, program source, and an award title that describes the purpose for each funding action;

     (4)  The full address of the entity receiving the award and the primary location of performance under the award;

     (5)  A unique identifier of the entity receiving the award and the parent entity of the recipient, if the entity is owned by another entity; and

     (6)  Any other relevant information specified by the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from two government agencies and two individuals.  The written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature’s website.

     Your Committee finds that it is in the public interest for taxpayers to have access to information on how state funds are spent.  Your Committee believes that this measure will provide greater accessibility to information about monetary awards from the State.

     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 S.B. No. 659 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,

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair