STAND. COM. REP. NO.  17-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1713

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1713 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ETHICS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exempt extracurricular service of employees from the prohibition on receipt of gifts contained in the State Ethics Code if certain conditions are met.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association, IMUAlliance, and several individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Hawaii State Ethics Commission testified in opposition.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding a section to repeal section 84-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to the statutory construction of 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 Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1713, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1713, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair