CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 136-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2016

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2247

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sirs:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2247, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GOVERNMENTAL TRAVEL,"

 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

 

     The purpose of this measure is to authorize the State and counties to pay the approved travel costs incurred by their officers and employees for official State or county business, either directly to the vendor or by cash advance to the officer or employee, unless otherwise provided by a collective bargaining agreement.

 

     Your Committee on Conference is addressing the problem faced by many public employees when they are required to pay for official business out of their own funds and wait to be reimbursed.  While waiting to be reimbursed, government employees face financial difficulties.

 

Your Committee on Conference has amended the bill by:

 

     (1)  Permitting the State or county to make payment directly to the officer or employee unless the officer or employee affirmatively consents to loan the State or county the money for the travel costs and be reimbursed after the officer or employee pays for the travel costs; provided that the employer shall not take adverse employment action against an officer or employee who does not affirmatively consent to the arrangement; and

 

     (2)  Making this measure effective on July 1, 2016.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2247, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2247, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

____________________________

GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Co-Chair

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair