STAND. COM. REP. NO. 647

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 872

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 872, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ETHICS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to explicitly authorize the State Ethics Commission to employ or retain its own attorneys.

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

     Your Committee finds that existing law prohibits any state agency from hiring attorneys, except for the agencies specified under section 28-8.3, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  Your Committee further finds that this measure adds the State Ethics Commission as one of the agencies that are exempt under section 28-8.3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and therefore allows the Commission to hire and retain attorneys other than deputy attorneys general for legal representation, counsel, or drafting services.

     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. 872, 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