STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2648

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 3024

       S.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 3024, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE ETHICS COMMISSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to address the administration of state laws relating to ethics and lobbying.

More specifically, the measure:

     (1)  Reduces a fiscal year 2015-2016 appropriation to the Hawaii State Ethics Commission for the design and development of an electronic filing system from $130,000 to $50,000;

     (2)  Establishes a task force to review the State's lobbying laws and report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature; and

     (3)  Appropriates moneys to the Hawaii State Ethics Commission to establish the task force.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Ethics Commission.

     Your Committee finds that Act 151, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, appropriated $130,000 to the Hawaii State Ethics Commission for the design and development of an electronic filing system.  However, the Hawaii State Ethics Commission was unable to contract with a vendor as it had originally planned.  Instead, the commission is now receiving assistance from the Office of Enterprise Technology Services to implement the filing system at a lower anticipated cost.

Your Committee further finds that reducing the appropriation from $130,000 to $50,000 and redirecting the cost savings to establish a task force to examine and make recommendations regarding laws related to lobbying will produce information that the Legislature may use to strengthen the State's lobbying laws.

     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. 3024, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair