STAND. COM. REP. NO.  2-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

 

RE:   H.B. No. 237

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 237 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ETHICS TRAINING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to amend the requirements for ethics training for state employees and officials by:

 

(1)  Requiring all persons who are required to file a financial disclosure form, all members of state boards, and all state employees responsible for procurement, contract administration, and regulation or inspection of private organizations to complete ethics training within thirty days of assuming office or employment and every four years thereafter;

 

(2)  Clarifying the scope of content required and other administrative requirements for ethics training courses; and

 

(3)  Authorizing online courses for certain state employees.

 

     The League of Women Voters of Hawaii testified in support of this measure.  Several individuals opposed this measure.  The State Ethics Commission commented on this measure.

 

Your Committee recognizes that county employees and county board members are trained by their respective counties in the applicable county ethics requirements and should be excluded from state ethics training.  Similarly, as candidates for office are subject to the Ethics Code on only a limited basis and are subject to the oversight of other state regulatory agencies, they should therefore be excluded from these ongoing ethics training requirements.  Your Committee notes that the State Ethics Commission testified that in-person training is most effective and should be required for the first training session for all persons subject to the requirement.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Specifying that the ethics training requirements do not apply to county employees, county board members, and candidates seeking state or county office;

 

(2)  Specifying that all covered individuals shall complete the initial course in person at the next available opportunity after election, appointment, or hiring;

 

(3)  Specifying that a question-and-answer segment is not required to be included in the training courses offered;

 

(4)  Requiring each state agency and board to identify and notify their own officers and employees of the training requirements;

 

(5)  Appropriating funds to the State Ethics Commission for in-person and online ethics training and related activities; and

 

(6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 237, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 237, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair