Report Title:

BOE; Attorneys

Description:

Allows the board of education to employ attorneys without the attorney general's approval.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2184

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to the board of education.

 

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

SECTION 1. Findings and purpose. The legislature finds that when the board of education and the Hawaii state public library system need legal questions answered, the response often takes longer than is acceptable. This delay affects the work of these agencies. Permitting the board of education to hire attorneys without the attorney general's approval can improve response time and can provide the board of education the support needed to pursue legal action when its interests diverge from that of the rest of the executive branch. The purpose of this Act is to permit the board of education to hire attorneys without the attorney general's approval.

SECTION 2. Section 28-8.3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

1. By amending subsection (a) to read:

"(a) No department of the State other than the attorney general may employ or retain any attorney, by contract or otherwise, for the purpose of representing the State or the department in any litigation, rendering legal counsel to the department, or drafting legal documents for the department; provided that the foregoing provision shall not apply to the employment or retention of attorneys:

(1) By the public utilities commission, the labor and industrial relations appeals board, and the Hawaii labor relations board;

(2) By any court or judicial or legislative office of the State;

(3) By the legislative reference bureau;

(4) By any compilation commission that may be constituted from time to time;

(5) By the real estate commission for any action involving the real estate recovery fund;

(6) By the contractors license board for any action involving the contractors recovery fund;

(7) By the trustees for any action involving the travel agency recovery fund;

(8) By the office of Hawaiian affairs;

(9) By the department of commerce and consumer affairs for the enforcement of violations of chapters 480 and 485;

(10) As grand jury counsel;

(11) By the Hawaiian home lands trust individual claims review panel;

(12) By the Hawaii health systems corporation or any of its facilities;

(13) By the auditor;

(14) By the office of ombudsman;

(15) By the insurance division;

(16) By the University of Hawaii;

(17) By the Kahoolawe island reserve commission;

(18) By the division of consumer advocacy; [or]

(19) By the board of education; or

[(19)] (20) By a department, in the event the attorney general, for reasons deemed by the attorney general good and sufficient, declines, to employ or retain an attorney for a department; provided that the governor thereupon waives the provision of this section."

2. By amending subsection (c) to read:

"(c) Every attorney employed by any department on a full-time basis, except an attorney employed by the public utilities commission, the labor and industrial relations appeals board, the Hawaii labor relations board, the office of Hawaiian affairs, the Hawaii health systems corporation, the board of education, the department of commerce and consumer affairs in prosecution of consumer complaints, insurance division, the division of consumer advocacy, the University of Hawaii, the Hawaiian home lands trust individual claims review panel, or as grand jury counsel, shall be a deputy attorney general."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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