STAND. COM. REP. NO. 183

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 500

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 500 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to expand the duties and responsibilities of the Lieutenant Governor to include managing and overseeing public tours of the state capitol, managing vacancies on state boards and commissions, processing applications to serve on boards and commissions, and any other applicable administrative duties.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the Governor and Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

Your Committee finds that currently, the duties of the Lieutenant Governor are not specifically defined. This measure expands the duties and responsibilities of the Lieutenant Governor to include managing and overseeing public tours of the state capitol and certain aspects of the state board and commission process.

Your Committee further finds that boards and commissions have traditionally been a gubernatorial function. Amendments are therefore needed to ensure that much of the oversight of state boards and commissions remains with the Governor.

According to testimony from the Office of the Governor, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor are currently working together on a strategy to collaborate more effectively. Collaboration between the Offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor is important, however, so is a more specific definition of the administrative role of the Lieutenant Governor. Your Committee respectfully requests that the Offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor bring forward any further clarifications about the role of the Lieutenant Governor as this measure moves through the legislative process.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the duties and functions of the Lieutenant Governor include only the maintenance and publication of a list of vacancies on state boards and commissions;

(2) Deleting other proposed administrative duties and functions of the Lieutenant Governor relating to state boards and commissions, including management of vacancies and processing of applications; 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. 500, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 500, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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LAURA H. THIELEN, Chair