STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2546

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2609

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2609 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require certain information on the financial disclosure statements deemed to be public records for non-paid volunteer members of state boards to be redacted.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii State Ethics Commission, Common Cause Hawaii, and League of Women Voters.

Your Committee finds that state boards often struggle to attract and retain qualified members for non-paid volunteer positions. The public disclosure requirement for such non-paid volunteer members is a significant deterrent for prospective applicants. While requiring certain information on the public financial disclosure statements of non-paid volunteer members of state boards to be redacted will reduce the deterrent effect of the financial disclosure requirement, your Committee also recognizes the countervailing public interest in openness and transparency in government.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2035, to encourage further discussion.

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 S.B. No. 2609, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2609, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

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BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair