STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2163

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2720

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2720 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS TO PROVIDE FOR THE EXPENSES OF THE LEGISLATURE, THE AUDITOR, THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU, THE OMBUDSMAN, AND THE ETHICS COMMISSION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the expenses of the Legislature, the Office of the Auditor, the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Hawaii State Ethics Commission.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Auditor, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Hawaii State Ethics Commission.

 

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Legislative Reference Bureau.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure appropriates sufficient funds to defray necessary expenses of the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Office of the Auditor, the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Hawaii State Ethics Commission for fiscal year 2016-2017.  The measure includes a general fund appropriation of $32,976,505 to defray the following necessary expenses:

 

     (1)  $8,878,376 to the Senate;

     (2)  $12,130,374 to the House of Representatives;

     (3)  $2,978,549 to the Office of the Auditor;

     (4)  $2,800,000 to the Audit Revolving Fund;

     (5)  $3,463,419 to the Legislative Reference Bureau;

     (6)  $1,216,970 to the Office of the Ombudsman; and

     (7)  $1,009,695 to the Hawaii State Ethics Commission.

 

     The measure also provides funding to the respective houses of the Legislature and legislative service agencies to defray accrued vacation and vacation transfer costs and requires that these moneys be used as the primary funding source to pay for such costs when an employee separates from service with the respective house of the Legislature or legislative service agency.  The measure appropriates the following amounts to defray accrued vacation and vacation transfer costs:

 

     (1)  $150,000 to the Senate;

     (2)  $224,524 to the House of Representatives;

     (3)  $45,825 to the Office of the Auditor;

     (4)  $50,153 to the Legislative Reference Bureau;

     (5)  $11,662 to the Office of the Ombudsman; and

     (6)  $16,958 to the Hawaii State Ethics Commission.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2720, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair