STAND. COM. REP. NO. 128

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 134

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 134 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR COUNTY ETHICS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate one-time grants-in-aid to the respective ethics boards of the counties of Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii and to the Ethics Commission of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i State Ethics Commission, Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct, a member of the Hawai‘i County Council, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Honolulu Ethics Commission.

Your Committee finds that this measure implements one of the recommendations made by the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct established by the House of Representatives in House Resolution No. 9, Regular Session of 2022. Your Committee further finds that the counties are constitutionally required to adopt and administer a code of ethics. This measure would appropriate state monies to ensure that the county ethics boards and commission have adequate resources to continue their operations and pursue their respective missions.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $200,000 for a grant-in-aid to the Board of Ethics of the County of Kauai; $200,000 for a grant-in-aid to the Board of Ethics of the County of Maui; $200,000 for a grant‑in-aid to the Board of Ethics of the County of Hawaii; and $200,000 for a grant-in-aid to the Ethics Commission of the City and County of Honolulu.

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. 134, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 134, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair