IV. 2023 Legislative Session

from Hawaii State Ethics Commission agenda for meeting May 17, 2023

Bills of interest introduced in 2023 are described briefly below. The blue house or senate bill number is a clickable hyperlink that goes directly to the bill language online. If the hyperlink does not work, bills can be looked up at “capitol.hawaii.gov” by entering the bill number in the search box in the website’s upper right corner.

Budget

i. HB 1514 HD1 SD1. Appropriates funds to provide for the expenses of the Legislature, Auditor, Legislative Reference Bureau, Ombudsman, and Ethics Commission. Status: Enrolled into law as Act 003, 3/28/2023.

ii. Financial Disclosures

i. SB 182 SD1 HD1 CD1 (Ethics Commission package). Amends the fines imposed and the procedures relating to enforcement of a late or missing financial disclosure statement. Status: Enrolled to Governor, 5/3/2023.

ii. HB 141 HD1 SD1 (Ethics Commission package). Requires each state legislator to include within the legislator's disclosures of financial interest the names of lobbyists or lobbying organizations with whom the legislator has a financial relationship. Status: Transmitted to Governor, 4/29/2023.

Gifts

i. HB 142 (Ethics Commission package). Prohibits lobbyists from making gifts that are prohibited under state ethics law. Status Signed into law as Act 010, 3/31/23.

Lobbyist Law

i. HB 137 HD1 (Ethics Commission package). Requires the statement of expenditures filed with the State Ethics Commission to include information on the identity, by bill number, resolution number, budget cost or program identification number, or other identifier, of the legislative or administrative action that was commented on, supported by, or opposed by the person filing the statement during the statement period. Status: Signed into law as Act 008, 3/31/23.

ii. HB 138 (Ethics Commission package). Requires the State Ethics Commission to establish and administer a lobbyists training course and make the lobbyist training course mandatory for all lobbyists. Status: Signed into law as Act 20, 4/19/2023.

iii. SB 1493 SD1 HD1 CD1. Prohibits, during legislative sessions and shortly before and after, lobbyist contributions and expenditures, and promises of contributions or expenditures, to any elected official, candidate, candidate committee, or individual who is required to file an organizational report with the Campaign Spending Commission. Status: Enrolled to Governor, 5/4/2023.

Nepotism

i. HB 717 HD1 SD2 CD1 (Standards Commission package). Prohibits under certain state employees from appointing, hiring, promoting, or retaining relatives and household members and from making or participating in certain other employment-related decisions and from awarding a contract to or otherwise taking official action on a contract with a business if the employee's relative or household member is an executive officer of or holds a substantial ownership interest in that business. Imposes administrative fines for violations. Status: Transmitted to the Governor, 5/3/2023.

Record Disposition

i. HB 140 (Ethics Commission package). Provides the State Ethics Commission with the discretion to maintain or destroy records of financial disclosure statements beyond the current 6-year statutory requirement. Applies retroactively to applicable disclosures that are in the Commission's possession and control. Status: Signed into law as Act 009, 3/31/23.