STAND. COM. REP. NO.  531

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 508

      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 Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 508 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ETHICS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Increase the maximum penalties for a violation of Chapter 84, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), Standards of Conduct (Ethics Code);

     (2)  Clarify that a fine may be assessed or restitution ordered in a settlement agreement under the Ethics Code;

     (3)  Remove the intent of the respondent as an element of the civil violation of Chapter 97, HRS, (Lobbyist Law); and

     (4)  Increase the maximum penalties for a violation of the Lobbyist Law.

The Hawaii State Ethics Commission, Common Cause Hawaii, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and an individual testified in support of this measure.  The Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; 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 Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 508, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 508, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO, Chair