STAND. COM. REP. NO.  583-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 2175

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Legislative Management, to which was referred H.B. No. 2175 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ETHICS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to clarify the conflict of interest law under the State Ethics Code by clarifying the definition of "employee" to exclude a person serving on a task force or working group established by the Legislature for the purpose of recommending possible legislation.

The Department of the Attorney General, Hawaii Credit Union League, a member of the Mortgage Foreclosure Task Force, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation testified in support of this measure.  The League of Women Voters of Hawaii and a concerned individual opposed this measure.  The Hawaii State Ethics Commission provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Specifying that the clarifying provisions in the definition of "employee" apply specifically to the State Ethics Code; 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 Legislative Management that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2175, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2175, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Legislative Management,

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair