STAND. COM. REP. NO. 608

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 576

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 576, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GOVERNMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require reports of out-of-state and intra-state travel by state employees, officers, or other representatives to be made available for public review on the Comptroller's website.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services.

Your Committee finds that out-of-state and intra-state travel information by state employees, officers, or other representatives is fragmented making it difficult and time consuming to acquire. There is no accessible, searchable database to find out how often state officials use taxpayer-funded travel and how much it costs. To ensure transparency, all out-of-state and intra-state taxpayer-funded trips by state officials and staff should be disclosed on an easily accessible website after they are completed.

Additionally, your Committee notes that the Department of Accounting and General Services has suggested a collaboration with the Department of Enterprise Technology Services to utilize the Open Data Portal as a platform for the requirement of this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion.

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. 576, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 576, S.D. 2, 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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ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair