STAND. COM. REP. NO.  23

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 208

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 208 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LOBBYISTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to ensure transparency in government by amending the disclosure requirements for lobbyists to impose absolute liability for the failure to file a statement or report required by law or for the inclusion of false information or material omission of any fact in a statement or report.

The Hawaii State Ethics Commission, Americans for Democratic Action/Hawaii, and Common Cause Hawaii testified in support of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the negligent filing of a required statement or report with the State Ethics Commission that includes false information or a material ommission of any fact will subject a lobbyist to penalties; 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 Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 208, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 208, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair