STAND. COM. REP. NO. 49-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2267

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Legislative Management, to which was referred H.B. No. 2267 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ADMINISTRATIVE FINES UNDER THE STATE ETHICS CODE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to authorize the State Ethics Commission to impose an administrative fine for all violations of the state ethics code for which an administrative fine has not been established.

Furthermore, this measure deposits those fines into the general fund.

Your Committee finds that State Ethics Commission lacks authority, in most instances, to impose fines for violations of the state ethics code. Also, the current system of penalties for violations of the state ethics code is too ephemeral to provide meaningful deterrence of ethics code violations. By imposing financial consequences, this measure will serve to deter violations and encourage legislative officials and employees to contact the commission before engaging in conduct potentially offensive to the ethics code.

The Hawaii State Ethics Commission and the League of Women Voters testified in favor of the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Legislative Management that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2267 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Legislative Management,

 

____________________________

MICHAEL Y. MAGAOAY, Chair