STAND. COM. REP. NO.  491

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 852

      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 Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 852 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ETHICS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to promote integrity in state government and provide additional clarity and consistency in the administration and enforcement of Hawaii's ethics laws by:

     (1)  Increasing fines for the failure to timely file financial disclosure statements;

     (2)  Allowing the State Ethics Commission (Commission) to notify, by e-mail or first-class mail rather than by registered mail with return receipt requested, those individuals who fail to timely file their financial disclosure statements; and

     (3)  Directing the Commission to publish the names of individuals who fail to file their financial disclosure statements by the statutory deadline.

The Hawaii State Ethics Commission, Common Cause Hawaii, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and one concerned individual supported this measure.

     Your Committee 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 Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 852, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 852, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair