HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	705
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to legislative allowance.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the house of representatives adopted House Resolution No. 9, Regular Session of 2022, to establish the commission to improve standards of conduct. The resolution requests the commission ensure state laws and rules relating to standards of conduct of public officers and employees contain clear standards, enforcement, and penalties and provide recommendations to increase awareness of, compliance with, and deterrent effects of the code of ethics, lobbying laws, campaign finance laws, and other relevant laws and rules.

Pursuant to House Resolution No. 9, the commission to improve standards of conduct convened regularly throughout 2022 to diligently review, discuss, and consider the issues presented, submitted an interim report to the house of representatives outlining areas of immediate and long-term focus, then continued its work with input from the public and invited individuals and agencies to issue a final report with various recommendations and accompanying proposed legislation.

The legislature also finds that the strength and stability of our democratic government rely upon the public's trust in government institutions, including the expectation that officers act ethically with prudence, integrity, and sound judgement. Therefore, an essential goal of the commission was to provide recommendations that would help restore public trust in state government and increase the level of transparency in its operations and accountability of individuals.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to implement recommendations of the commission to improve standards of conduct by requiring each house of the legislature to post a report of the legislative allowance expenditures for each member of the respective house on the legislature's website.

SECTION 2. Section 24-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§24-1 Allowance for incidental expenses. (a) Each member of the legislature shall receive an annual allowance of $7,500, which amount is to cover incidental expenses connected with legislative duties and the amount shall be payable in a manner prescribed by the respective rules of each house; provided that when the legislative salary is increased, the legislative allowance shall be increased by the same percentage.

(b) Each house of the legislature shall post on the legislature's website, on a rolling basis and in a manner prescribed by the respective rules of each house, a report of the legislative allowance expenditures for each member of the respective house."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct; Legislative Allowance; Expenditure Report

Description:

Requires each house of the legislature to post a report of the legislative allowance expenditures for each member of the respective house on the legislature's website.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.