STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1657

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 289

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 289 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ETHICS ADMINISTRATIVE FINES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish uniform provisions for the assessment of certain administrative penalties under the State Ethics Code and Lobbyist Law.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi State Ethics Commission and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the existing enforcement process for the Hawaiʻi State Ethics Commission entails the respondent to respond to a charge multiple times, which extends the process, sometimes lasting five to six months. For matters in which the facts and law are not in question, an expedited process may reduce the burden on respondents and minimize unnecessary waste of time and resources and that the timely resolution of ethics and lobbying cases before the Hawaii State Ethics Commission enhances public trust and transparency. This measure establishes an expedited enforcement process to address violations of the ethics and lobbying laws.

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 S.B. No. 289 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair