STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1131

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   S.B. No. 996

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 996, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ETHICS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate $130,000 for the Hawaii State Ethics Commission to design and develop a system that allows filers to electronically file required statements and reports with the Commission.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Ethics Commission, Common Cause Hawaii, the League of Women Voters, and one individual.

 

     Your Committee notes that testimony raised concerns that the Hawaii State Ethics Commission's current website is not entirely accessible to individuals with disabilities and fails to fully comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.  However, your Committee finds that the Commission has acknowledged that it is aware of the limitations of its present website and intends that the proposed electronic filing system will be accessible and ADA-compliant, and the Commission has indicated that it will continue to assess the accessibility of the website going forward.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making it effective upon approval.  Your Committee requests that the Committee on Finance consider changing the effective date of the measure to coincide with the beginning of the 2015-2016 fiscal year if it deems such a change necessary.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 996, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 996, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair