STAND. COM. REP. NO.  18-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 2720

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2720 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS TO PROVIDE FOR THE EXPENSES OF THE LEGISLATURE, THE AUDITOR, THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU, THE OMBUDSMAN, AND THE ETHICS COMMISSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the legislative branch of state government.  Among other things, this bill appropriates:

     (1)  $8,878,376 to the Senate;

     (2)  $12,130,374 to the House of Representatives;

     (3)  $2,978,549 to the Office of the Auditor;

     (4)  $2,800,000 for deposit into the Audit Revolving Fund;

     (5)  $6,300,000 from the Audit Revolving Fund to the Office of the Auditor to conduct or complete its audit functions;

     (6)  $3,463,419 to the Legislative Reference Bureau;

     (7)  $1,216,970 to the Office of the Ombudsman; and

     (8)  $1,009,695 to the State Ethics Commission.

The Office of the Auditor, Office of the Ombudsman, Hawaii State Ethics Commission, and League of Women Voters of Hawaii testified in support of this measure.  The Legislative Reference Bureau provided comments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2720 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair