STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3759

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2124

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2124, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CODE OF ETHICS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Prohibit certain state officials and employees from representing certain private interests before the State for twelve months after termination from their respective state positions; and

(2) Subject those who were employed by the State for less than one hundred eighty-one days to the same nondisclosure restrictions as other former employees.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i State Ethics Commission, Common Cause Hawaii, Young Progressives Demanding Action, Community Alliance on Prisons, and seven individuals.

Your Committee finds that under current law, former legislators and high ranking public officials are prohibited from representing others for compensation on matters the legislator or former official participated in as a legislator or public officer, or took official action on as a legislator or public official within twelve months of leaving their public office. Your Committee further finds that there is no restriction on legislators or public officials being paid to represent private clients before other state agencies or on matters in which the legislator or official did not participate. Your Committee additionally finds that expanding and strengthening the prohibitions against private lobbying activities by legislators and other state officials is in the public interest.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2021.

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. 2124, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2124, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair