STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2722

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2245

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2245 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REVOLVING DOOR RESTRICTIONS FOR STATE EMPLOYEES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Prohibit new state employees from taking official action on matters they worked on before state employment; and

(2) Prohibit former permanent employees of the Office of the Governor and Office of the Lieutenant Governor from representing persons or businesses for a period of twelve months after termination from state employment.

Your Committee did not receive any testimony on this measure.

Your Committee finds that an ethical risk arises when a newly hired public employee enters government service and may take official action on matters directly connected to the employee's previous private-sector occupation. Without reasonable pre-employment restrictions, well-intentioned public servants may be placed in positions where their impartiality could be questioned, undermining public confidence in government decision-making. This measure will establish meaningful restrictions on new state employees from taking official action on matters they previously worked on prior to state employment and extend post-employment lobbying restricts to employees in the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor to strengthen public trust in the integrity and impartiality of state decision-making.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2245 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair