STAND. COM. REP. NO.  101

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1530

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1530 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)  $9,669,111 to the Senate;

     (2)  $13,294,012 to the House of Representatives;

     (3)  $3,151,649 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)  $3,676,187 to the Legislative Reference Bureau;

     (7)  $1,316,799 to the Office of the Ombudsman; and

     (8)  $1,112,093 to the State Ethics Commission.

The Office of the Auditor, Office of the Ombudsman, State Ethics Commission, League of Women Voters, and a concerned individual supported this measure.  The Legislative Reference Bureau and Common Cause Hawaii provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the following appropriation amounts:

     (1)  $9,588,608 to the Senate, of which $8,326,108 will be used to defray session and nonsession expenses; and

     (2)  $13,205,390 to the House of Representatives, of which $12,154,466 will be used to defray session and nonsession expenses.

     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. 1530, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1530, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair