Report Title:
Ethics Training
Description:
Requires follow-up online ethics training for elected officials, elected members of the board of education, trustees of the office of Hawaiian affairs, the governor, lieutenant governor, and executive department heads and deputies.
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
219 |
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TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO STANDARDS OF CONDUCT.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Current law provides for mandatory ethics training for legislators, elected members of the board of education, trustees of the office of Hawaiian affairs, the governor, the lieutenant governor, and executive department heads and deputies. However, there is no provision for follow‑up mandatory ethics training.
The legislature finds that continuous ethics training on an annual basis is necessary to ensure the integrity of conduct of elected officials and high-ranking appointed officers. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the following states offer online interactive ethics training: California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Texas.
The purpose of this Act is to require mandatory follow‑up ethics training for elected officials and high-ranking appointed officers of the State.
SECTION 2. Chapter 84, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part V to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§84‑ Mandatory follow-up ethics training course. (a) All state officers and employees enumerated in section 84‑41 who have completed the mandatory ethics training course under section 84-42, shall complete a follow-up ethics training course every two years after the initial election or initial appointment, as applicable, if the person remains with the State as an officer or employee.
(b) The follow‑up ethics training course shall be administered by the state ethics commission and shall be offered online and on demand, beginning June 1, 2010.
(c) The follow-up ethics training course shall include an updated review of the information covered in the ethics training course under section 84-43, and information concerning:
(1) Advisory opinions issued within the two‑year period immediately preceding the course; and
(2) Any other information that addresses current ethics issues as determined by the executive director of the state ethics commission.
The follow-up ethics training course shall allow for the inclusion of typed-in email questions from each attendee, addressed to the executive director of the state ethics commission; provided that the questions shall not be deemed to constitute a request for an advisory opinion. The executive director shall reply appropriately.
(d) The executive director of the state ethics commission shall make a record of each person that completes the mandatory follow-up ethics training course, which record shall constitute a public record.
(e) Completion of mandatory follow-up ethics training under this section:
(1) Shall not be deemed to diminish personal responsibility for adherence to this chapter; and
(2) Shall not be used or admitted into evidence in any proceeding against the person completing the follow-up ethics training.
(f) As used in this section:
"Email" means electronic mail that is a store-and-forward method of writing, sending, receiving, and sending messages over a computer network.
"On demand" means the capability of being instantly accessed over the Internet.
"Online" means the delivery of a learning, training, or education program over the Internet by the use of a computer."
SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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