HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

969

TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

Relating to lIMITING PRIVATE RETAINERS of ElecTIVE officers.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that when elected officers receive money from the private sector that rivals their official government salaries, it threatens to erode the public's trust in government.  The citizens of Hawaii deserve to have full confidence that their public servants will keep the public interest first and foremost throughout their decision-making processes.

     The purpose of this Act is to strengthen the public's trust in government by raising the ethical standards for elected officers.  To that end, the Act prohibits all elected officers in the State from accepting private retainers totaling in excess of twenty per cent of their official government salaries.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 78, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§78-     Private retainers of elective officers limited; forfeiture.  (a)  All elective officers in the service of the government of the State or any county shall refrain, during each fiscal year, from accepting or receiving any fees, compensation, income, gifts, profits, or financial interests having a total aggregate value in excess of twenty per cent of the official salary for that elective office during the same fiscal year.

     (b)  The State by the attorney general may recover any fee, compensation, income, gift, profit, or financial interest received by any person as a result of a violation of this section by an elective official or former elective official of the government of the State or any county." 

     SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2017.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Government Ethics; Limiting Private Incomes of Elected Officials

 

Description:

Prohibits elected officials from receiving any income from private sources that exceeds, in aggregate, twenty per cent of their government salary.

 

 

 

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