STAND. COM. REP. NO.  6

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   H.B. No. 302

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 302 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS TO PROVIDE FOR THE EXPENSES OF THE LEGISLATURE, THE AUDITOR, THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU, AND THE OMBUDSMAN,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funding for the legislative branch of state government.

 

     The House of Representatives, Senate, Auditor, Hawaii State Ethics Commission, Legislative Reference Bureau, Ombudsman, and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Reducing the appropriation for the Senate from $7,694,360 to $7,125,681;

 

     (2)  Reducing the appropriation for the House of Representatives from $11,670,163 to $10,503,163;

 

     (3)  Reducing the appropriation to defray the expenses of the Office of the Auditor from $2,910,685 to $2,619,685 for fiscal year (FY) 2009-2010;

 

     (4)  Increasing the appropriation for the Audit Revolving Fund from $2,429,360 to $2,550,828 for FY 2009-2010;

 

     (5)  Increasing the Audit Revolving Fund ceiling for FY 2008-2009 and FY 2009-2010 from $5,600,438 to $6,300,000; and

 

     (6)  Reducing the appropriation for the Legislative Reference Bureau from $3,449,623 to $3,113,126 for FY 2009-2010.

 

     The Office of the Auditor testified that the requested increase in the Audit Revolving Fund ceiling in FY 2008-2009 is necessary "to accommodate the delays in contract execution...for a few FY 2007-2008 financial statement audits.  The delays were caused by various glitches in the executive branch agencies, such as non-closure of the prior years' books."  Similarly, the same increase for FY 2009-2010 is necessary in case similar problems are encountered this year.

 

     Your Committee notes that the total 2009-2010 budget for the legislative branch as provided in this bill, as amended, will be reduced by 6.9 percent.  This compares well with the budget proposal submitted by the Governor in the appendix to the Governor's message to the Legislature in "The Multi-Year Program and Financial Plan and Executive Budget For the Period 2009-2015 (Budget Period 2009-11)" which recommends a "...reduction of $209.3 million (-3.8%) in FY 2009-2010 and $186.1 million (-3.3%) in FY 2010-2011."

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 302, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 302, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair