STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3364

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2247

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2247, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GOVERNMENTAL TRAVEL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the State and counties to pay the approved travel costs incurred by respective officers or employees for official state or county business directly to either the vendor providing the goods or services or the officer or employee by cash advance prior to the date of purchase.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association.

     Your Committee finds that work-related travel can be a financial burden when a state or county officer or employee must wait to be reimbursed for approved travel costs.  This measure will provide flexibility and facilitate work-related travel by officers and employees by authorizing payment for approved travel costs directly to a vendor or to the officer or employee by cash advance.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical amendment for purposes of accuracy.

     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 H.B. No. 2247, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2247, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair