Weekly Recap
From Hawaii Family Forum, April 14, 2017
Today, may you find Good Friday, rest!
There is one place we can go to find rest for our souls... at the foot of the Cross. Happy Good Friday from the board and staff of Hawaii Family Forum!
Upcoming Legislative Dates:
04/17/17
SECOND LATERAL FOR SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS - All Senate concurrent resolutions with multiple referrals must move to their final House committee by this date.
04/21/17
DEADLINE FOR FINAL FORM OF BILLS PROPOSING CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS - A proposed amendment's final form must be provided by written notice to the Governor at least 10 days prior to passing final reading by a 2/3 vote in each chamber. Once adopted by the Legislature, the proposed amendment is submitted to the voters, in the form of a 'yes or no' question on the ballot, for ultimate decision.
04/24/17
SECOND CROSSOVER FOR CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS - Deadline for passing amended concurrent resolutions in the non-originating chamber in order to "cross back" to the originating chamber. APR 27 FINAL DECKING OF NON-FISCAL BILLS - Deadline for submitting non-fiscal bills for final reading by both chambers.
04/28/17
FINAL DECKING OF FISCAL BILLS - Deadline for submitting fiscal bills for final reading by both chambers. Fiscal bills include appropriation or spending bills, tax credits, etc. that emerge from the fiscal committee (House Finance, Senate Ways and Means) of their respective originating chamber.
05/04/17
ADJOURNMENT SINE DIE - In Latin, "sine die" means "without a day specified for future meeting." Adjournment sine die occurs on the 60th legislative day of a regular session, and indicates a suspension of the business of the legislature indefinitely. From this point, the Legislature will certify bills whose form both chambers have agreed to, and will transmit or "enroll" those bills to the Governor. Contact PAR for information regarding the Governor's deadlines. (Public Access Room (PAR): phone 808/587-0478; email)
House Passes "Bully Bill"
On Tuesday, April 11, 2017, the House passed SB 501 HD2. We appreciate the support of the 10 Representatives who voted NO: Representative(s) Cachola, DeCoite, Har, Kong, McDermott, Oshiro, Say, Tokioka, Tupola, and Ward. One member, Representative Lauren Matsumoto voted YES with reservations, while the rest of the 40 members voted YES. You can click this link for a full list of House members with their vote and their phone numbers if you would like to make a call.
The Senate has already sent a notice that they disagree with the House changes and a conference committee will be set. Keep in mind that only members that have voted yes on the bill can be put on the conference committee. Public input will no longer be accepted at hearings (testimony) but the meetings are open to the public. Once conference committee members are assigned and meetings are scheduled we will let you know.
Suicide Prevention Bill Killed!
HB 696 (introduced by Representative(s) MIZUNO, AQUINO, BELATTI, BROWER, CACHOLA, CULLEN, EVANS, C. LEE, LOPRESTI, MORIKAWA, NAKASHIMA, NISHIMOTO, OHNO, OSHIRO, SAIKI, SAN BUENAVENTURA, SAY, TAKAYAMA, THIELEN, TODD, WOODSON, DeCoite) was a great bill that designated the month of September of each year as Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. We strongly supported the bill and were very pleased when it passed the House almost unanimously (Representatives Ichiyama and McDermott were excused). Therein ends the good news.
In a shocking move, The Senate Committee on Consumer Protection and Health GUTTED AND REPLACED (this procedure is common but it doesn't make it right) the contents of the bill changing it into a bill that "changes the name of the board of dental examiners to the board of dentistry and dental hygiene."
The decision to gut and replace was made by the Senate CPH committee .
2nd Crossover & Disagreement
Thursday, April 13, 2017 was the SECOND CROSSOVER (BILLS). This is the deadline for bills to pass third reading in their non-originating chamber in order to "cross back" to the originating chamber. It was also the LAST DAY FOR THE ORIGINATING BODY TO DISAGREE WITH BILL AMENDMENTS which means that the originating chamber has to disagree with changes made to its bills by the other chamber. When the Senate and House disagree on a bill, members from each chamber can meet in a "conference" committee to reconcile their differences.
What happens in Conference Committee?
Excerpted From the Public Access Room Newsletter
What's next for a bill that has survived its committee referrals and the required three votes in each chamber?
The exact wording of the bill needs to be agreed on by the House and Senate.
So, there's often some work left to do...
However, in most cases, a bill does get changed while it is in the non-originating chamber (that is, a House bill gets a Senate Draft or a Senate bill gets a House Draft). It is then sent back to its originating chamber. If the originating chamber decides to agree with the changes made, the bill is brought forward for a final reading vote in the originating chamber and then sent to the Governor for approval. But, more often than not, the originating chamber will decide to disagree with the changes the non-originating chamber has made. Then,the bill moves into the conference committee process.
Click to read the full article.
What's Coming Up?
Aloha United Way Campaign
The Aloha United Way Campaign has begun, which supports many good organizations in our community. You can make a contribution specifically to Hawaii Family Forum by using our designation number #75140 on the Donor Designation Form (or the online version). If you already give donations through AUW, this is a great way to help support the ongoing work of Hawaii Family Forum in the community!
May is National Foster Care Month
