STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1187

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   S.B. No. 631

      S.D. 1

      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 S.B. No. 631, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ETHICS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exclude tangible and nonperishable gifts received on behalf of the state by an elected or appointed official from the reporting requirements of the State Code of Ethics; provided that the gifts are recorded and remain as property of the State.

The League of Women Voters of Hawaii and Common Cause Hawaii supported this measure.  The Hawaii State Ethics Commission and State Foundation on Culture and the Arts provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that the excluded tangible and nonperishable gifts be listed in a public record maintained by the respective state agency as property of the State.

     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 S.B. No. 631, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 631, S.D. 1, 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