Honolulu, Hawaiʻi – Members of the House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs (JHA) yesterday took action on sixteen measures that were introduced by Speaker Scott K. Saiki, on behalf of the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct (CISC) Final Report[i].
"The House is appreciative to the Commission members who contributed their knowledge in reviewing our existing laws and offering recommendations. We sincerely appreciate the public's testimony on these measures," said JHA Chair David A. Tarnas (D-8, North & South Kohala).
The following CISC bills passed out of JHA for second reading:
HB 707 – Relating to False Claims
HD1 with amendments.
HB 710 – Relating to Government
HD1 with amendments.
HB 711 – Relating to Fraud
HD1 with amendments.
HB 712 – Relating to Recordings of Public Meetings
HD1 with amendments.
HB 717 – Relating to Nepotism
Rep. Tarnas said that the House has adopted revised House Rules regarding nepotism. He recommended passing a HD1 with amendments to focus on establishing a nepotism policy for state employment, and to include a section regarding hanai relationships.
HB 723 – Relating to the Sunshine Law
Rep. Tarnas suggested moving forward a HD1 with amendments to clarify which legislative committees must be subject to the sunshine law.
HB 724 – Relating to Campaign Contributions
HB 726 – Relating to Campaign Contributions
The following measures were deferred with justification provided by Chair Tarnas:
HB 705 – Relating to Legislative Allowance
Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as House passed similar bill HB136 (State Ethics Commission Package) for third reading on February 21.
HB 706 – Relating to Financial Disclosures
Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as JHA passed similar bill HB141 (State Ethics Commission Package) for second reading on February 21.
HB 708 – Relating to Lobbyists
Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as House passed similar bill HB137 (State Ethics Commission Package) for third reading on February 13.
HB 709 – Relating to Mandatory Lobbyist Training
Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as House passed similar bill HB138 (State Ethics Commission Package) for third reading on February 13.
HB 715 – Relating to Gifts from Lobbyists
Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as House passed similar bill HB142 (State Ethics Commission Package) for third reading on February 13.
HB 718 – Relating to Preliminary Determination of Probable Cause
Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as House passed similar bill HB97 (Hawaiʻi Campaign Spending Commission Package) for third reading on February 8.
HB 721 – Relating to Candidate Committee Expenditures
Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as JHA passed similar bill HB94 (Hawaiʻi Campaign Spending Commission Package) on February 1.
HB 722 – Relating to Candidate Committee and Noncandidate Committee Fundraisers
Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as House passed similar bill HB90 (Hawaiʻi Campaign Spending Commission Package) on February 7.
Additionally, the House yesterday adopted rule changes in the Rules of the House of Representatives of the thirty-second legislature, including the operating procedures for the House Committee on Standards of Conduct, and the House Administrative and Financial Manual. House Rules 29.1–29.3 and 62.5–62.6 incorporate CISC recommendations relating to ethics reform, ethics disclosures, standards of conduct, and conflict of interest and demonstrate the House taking the lead in implementing recommendations made by the Commission.
"The House Committee on Judiciary is thoroughly considering each of the CISC proposals, and the fact that several of them were implemented in the House Rules shows how seriously the House has taken these suggestions," said JHA Chair David A. Tarnas.
Click here to watch a playback of the 2/22 JHA hearing.
###
In 2022, the House of Representatives approved House Resolution No. 9, which established the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct. The Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct is composed of the following members: Judge Daniel R. Foley (Ret.), Hawaiʻi State Ethics Commission Executive Director and General Counsel Robert D. Harris, former State Representative Barbara C. Marumoto, retired United States Attorney for the District of Hawaiʻi Florence T. Nakakuni, League of Women Voters of Hawaiʻi Janet Mason, Campaign Spending Commission Executive Director Kristin E. Izumi-Nitao, Common Cause Hawaiʻi Advisory Board member Nikos Leverenz.