HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2431

TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to ethics.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  Section 84-11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§84-11  Gifts.  No legislator or employee shall solicit, accept, or receive, directly or indirectly, any gift, whether in the form of money, service, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, thing, or promise, or in any other form, under circumstances in which it can reasonably be inferred that the gift is intended to influence the legislator or employee in the performance of the legislator's or employee's official duties or is intended as a reward for any official action on the legislator's or employee's part[.]; provided that this section shall not apply to a teacher employed by the department of education or a public charter school who plans, organizes, or serves as a chaperone on a student educational trip and who receives a travel benefit, incentive, or gift from a tour or travel company that is to be used in conjunction with the same educational trip on which the teacher serves as a chaperone or plans or organizes."

     SECTION 2.  Section 84-13, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§84-13  Fair treatment.  No legislator or employee shall use or attempt to use the legislator's or employee's official position to secure or grant unwarranted privileges, exemptions, advantages, contracts, or treatment, for oneself or others; including but not limited to the following:

     (1)  Seeking other employment or contract for services for oneself by the use or attempted use of the legislator's or employee's office or position[.];

     (2)  Accepting, receiving, or soliciting compensation or other consideration for the performance of the legislator's or employee's official duties or responsibilities except as provided by law[.];

     (3)  Using state time, equipment or other facilities for private business purposes[.]; or

     (4)  Soliciting, selling, or otherwise engaging in a substantial financial transaction with a subordinate or a person or business whom the legislator or employee inspects or supervises in the legislator's or employee's official capacity.

     Paragraph (2) shall not apply to a teacher employed by the department of education or a public charter school who plans, organizes, or serves as a chaperone on a student educational trip and who receives a travel benefit, incentive, or gift from a tour or travel company that is to be used in conjunction with the same educational trip on which the teacher serves as a chaperone or plans or organizes.

     Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit a legislator from introducing bills and resolutions, or to prevent a person from serving on a task force or from serving on a task force committee, or from making statements or taking official action as a legislator, or a task force member or a task force member's designee or representative.  Every legislator, or task force member or designee or representative of a task force member shall file a full and complete public disclosure of the nature and extent of the interest or transaction which the legislator or task force member or task force member's designee or representative believes may be affected by the legislator's or task force member's official action."

     SECTION 3.  Section 84-14, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§84-14  Conflicts of interests.  (a)  No employee shall take any official action directly affecting:

     (1)  A business or other undertaking in which the employee has a substantial financial interest; or

     (2)  A private undertaking in which the employee is engaged as legal counsel, advisor, consultant, representative, or other agency capacity.

     A department head who is unable to disqualify the department head's self on any matter described in paragraphs (1) and (2) will not be in violation of this subsection if the department head has complied with the disclosure requirements of section 84-17.

     A person whose position on a board, commission, or committee is mandated by statute, resolution, or executive order to have particular qualifications shall only be prohibited from taking official action that directly and specifically affects a business or undertaking in which the person has a substantial financial interest; provided that the substantial financial interest is related to the member's particular qualifications.

     (b)  No employee shall acquire financial interests in any business or other undertaking which the employee has reason to believe may be directly involved in official action to be taken by the employee.

     (c)  No legislator or employee shall assist any person or business or act in a representative capacity before any state or county agency for a contingent compensation in any transaction involving the State.

     (d)  No legislator or employee shall assist any person or business or act in a representative capacity for a fee or other compensation to secure passage of a bill or to obtain a contract, claim, or other transaction or proposal in which the legislator or employee has participated or will participate as a legislator or employee, nor shall the legislator or employee assist any person or business or act in a representative capacity for a fee or other compensation on such bill, contract, claim, or other transaction or proposal before the legislature or agency of which the legislator or employee is an employee or legislator.

     (e)  No employee shall assist any person or business or act in a representative capacity before a state or county agency for a fee or other consideration on any bill, contract, claim, or other transaction or proposal involving official action by the agency if the employee has official authority over that state or county agency unless the employee has complied with the disclosure requirements of section 84-17.

     (f)  Subsections (a), (b), and (d) shall not apply to a task force member or the designee or representative of that task force member whose service as a task force member would not otherwise cause that member, designee, or representative to be considered an employee, if the task force member or the designee or representative of that task force member complies with the disclosure requirements under section 84-17.

     (g)  Subsections (a)(2) and (d) shall not apply regarding travel, incentives, or gifts to a teacher employed by the department of education or a public charter school who plans, organizes, or serves as a chaperone on a student educational trip and who receives a travel benefit, incentive, or gift from a tour or travel company that is to be used in conjunction with the same educational trip on which the teacher serves as a chaperone or plans or organizes."

     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Ethics Code; Exemptions; Teachers; Educational Trips

 

Description:

Exempts teachers involved in educational trips from certain ethics code provisions.

 

 

 

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