STAND. COM. REP. NO. 411

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1611

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. 1611 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GOVERNMENT POSITIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require a person appointed to serve as the Governor's Senior Advisor for Mental Health and the Justice System, Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, or another position that serves as a Senior Advisor to the Governor to obtain the advice and consent of the Senate; and

(2) Require the appointment of the First Deputy Director of Human Services to obtain the advice and consent of the Senate; provided that if there is more than one Deputy Director in the Department of Human Services and no Deputy Director is designated as the First Deputy Director, then all persons holding the title of Deputy Director must obtain the advice and consent of the Senate.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of the Governor and Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that promoting transparency and accountability is integral to good governance. Your Committee further finds that requiring certain gubernatorial appointees to be subject to the advice and consent of the Senate is necessary to ensure that those positions are filled by individuals who have the necessary skills, knowledge, experience, and commitment to public service, to effectuate the mandates of their offices.

Your Committee notes the concern raised by the Office of the Governor and the Department of Human Services in their testimony that requiring Deputy Director positions in the Department of Human Services to be subject to the advice and consent of the Senate would hinder the Department's ability to execute the law and the Governor's priorities and address the needs of the State's residents.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have required Deputy Director positions within the Department of Human Services to be subject to the advice and consent of the Senate;

(2) Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2194, 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. 1611, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1611, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

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ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair