STAND. COM. REP. NO. 316

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 711

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 711 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GUBERNATORIAL APPOINTMENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require persons appointed to serve in the executive branch to obtain the advice and consent of the Senate if that person's salary is greater than or equal to:

(A) The Governor's salary, if the person is appointed to serve in the Office of the Governor; or

(B) The salary of the head of the principal department in which the person will serve; and

(2) Require the Governor to transmit Governor's Messages to the Senate President containing nominations for each gubernatorial appointee who was appointed to their position before the effective date of this measure and whose salary is greater than or equal to:

(A) The Governor's salary, if the person is appointed to the Office of the Governor; or

(B) The salary of the head of the principal department in which the person will serve.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition of this measure from the Office of the Governor.

Your Committee finds that some gubernatorial appointees to the Office of the Governor or a state agency have salaries greater than that of the Governor or the head of the principal department in which the appointee will serve. This measure will ensure the transparency and accountability of the State's Executive Branch by requiring these appointments to be subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Limiting the applicability of the Senate's advice and consent requirement to appointments of advisors in the executive branch whose annual salary is greater than $200,000 and not paid from the Governor's budget;

(2) Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2491, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 711, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 711, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Operations,

________________________________

ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair