STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2723

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2277

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2277 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GOVERNMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to enhance government accountability with regard to the timeliness of report submissions to the Legislature.

     Specifically, the measure:

     (1)  Requires state agencies to provide prior written notice to the Legislature if an agency is unable to meet the deadline for submitting a report to the Legislature pursuant to law or concurrent resolution;

     (2)  Authorizes the Legislature to reduce a state agency's budget if an appropriation was made to assist the agency with a report to the Legislature and the agency fails to submit the report by the deadline or fails to provide notice that the agency cannot meet the deadline; and

     (3)  Requires state agencies to provide the Legislature with a detailed list of all reports due to the Legislature one week prior to the due date of the reports.

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

     Your Committee finds that state agencies are either required or requested to submit reports to the Legislature pursuant to statutes, budget bill provisions, concurrent resolutions, and other legislation.  This measure will help ensure that the Legislature will receive timely notice of forthcoming reports and when a report deadline cannot be met.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     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. 2277, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2277, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair