STAND. COM. REP. NO.  873

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2021

 

RE:   H.B. No. 671

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 671, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose 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)  Specify that the prohibition against disclosing any information not available to the public or using the information for personal gain or benefit applies even to those who were employed by the State for less than one hundred eighty-one days.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Ethics Commission, Common Cause Hawaii, Young Progressives Demanding Action, and five individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that it is in the public interest to keep a distinct wall of separation between lobbyists and the State's elected officials and certain other government employees.  However, your Committee further finds that this measure would expand the post-employment prohibition to members of certain boards and commissions.  The majority of these members serve voluntarily and without compensation.  Your Committee believes that imposing this additional restriction on board and commission members may make it more difficult to attract and recruit the most qualified individuals for service.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by deleting language that would have prohibited members and trustees of certain boards and commissions from representing certain private interests before the State for twelve months after termination from their respective state positions.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 671, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 671, H.D. 2.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair