STAND. COM. REP. 734

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 865

H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 865, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill, as received, is to prohibit a public employee from taking official action on a matter that directly affects the financial interests of a family or household member.

The Hawaii State Ethics Commission (Commission) testified in support of this measure.

Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Modifying and clarifying the definition of "financial interest" to require that the action taken by the public employee have a material financial effect on the employee;

(2) Adding additional boards and commissions whose members are required to file financial disclosures, including the Board of Regents;

(3) Amending the responsibility of the Commission to require that the Commission publish findings where the charge is unsubstantiated;

(4) Exempting the members of the Board of Regents, the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the Board of Agriculture, and the Hawaiian Homes Commission who file a public disclosure statement from indicating the amounts of their interests; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

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 H.B. No. 865, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 865, H.D. 2.

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

 

____________________________

ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Chair