HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

862

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO THE ETHICS COMMISSION.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  Section 84-17.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§84-17.5  Disclosure files; [disposition.] retention.  (a)  All financial disclosure statements filed by a legislator, employee, or delegate to a constitutional convention shall be maintained by the state ethics commission during the term of office of the legislator, employee, or delegate and for a period of six years thereafter.  Upon the expiration of the six-year period, the financial and gift disclosure [statement] statements and all paper copies thereof shall be destroyed[.]; provided that the disclosure statements shall be retained for an additional ten years in electronic form.

     (b)  Upon the expiration of six years after an election for which a candidate for state elective office or a constitutional convention has filed a financial disclosure statement, the state ethics commission shall destroy the candidate's financial disclosure statement and all paper copies thereof[.]; provided that the financial disclosure statements shall be retained for an additional ten years in electronic form.

     (c)  Financial and gift disclosure statements provided for in [section] sections 84-11.5 and 84-17(d) shall [cease to be public records once the six-year period in subsection (a) or (b) has run.] remain public records for so long as the statements are available, either in paper or electronic form.

     (d)  [Nothing herein shall bar] Notwithstanding subsections (a) to (c), the state ethics commission [from retaining] shall retain a financial or gift disclosure statement or copy of a financial or gift disclosure statement that is subject to a request for access to a government document under chapter 92F, has become part of a charge case or advisory opinion request, or is part of an ongoing investigation.

     (e)  The state ethics commission may archive electronic copies of disclosure statements required to be retained under this section in a storage facility or the state archives.  The state ethics commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 regarding records retention and archiving procedures for the disclosure statements that shall be applied in a uniform and nondiscriminatory manner."

     SECTION 2.  Section 97-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§97-4  Manner of filing; statement files; retention; public records.  All statements required by this chapter to be filed with the state ethics commission:

     (1)  Shall be deemed properly filed when delivered or deposited in an established post office within the prescribed time, duly stamped, registered, or certified, and directed to the state ethics commission; provided[, however,] that in the event it is not received, a duplicate of the statement shall be promptly filed upon notice by the state ethics commission of its nonreceipt; [and]

     (2)  Shall be preserved by the state ethics commission for a period of four years from the date of filing; [and shall constitute part of the public records of the state ethics commission.] provided that the statements shall be retained for an additional ten years in electronic form.  The state ethics commission may archive electronic copies of statements required to be retained under this section in a storage facility or the state archives.  The state ethics commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 regarding records retention and archiving procedures for the statements that shall be applied in a uniform and nondiscriminatory manner; and

     (3)  Shall remain public records for so long as the statements are available, either in paper or electronic form." 

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2011.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Ethics Commission; Retention of Disclosure Information; Records

 

Description:

Requires the ethics commission to retain, in electronic form for ten years, financial and gift disclosure statements filed by legislators, employees, and delegates to a constitutional convention and statements filed by lobbyists.  Makes such documents public records for so long as the documents are available, either in paper or electronic form.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.