S.B. 1230 Summary

• Authorizes the State's judicial council to nominate persons for appointment to county ethics commissions if the county's charter or ordinance requires such appointments to come from judicial council nominations.

• Amends section 601-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to add a new subsection (b) establishing the judicial council's nomination authority for county ethics commission members.

• Aims to improve independence and impartiality of county ethics commissions by following the state model where the judicial council nominates ethics commission members rather than having local elected officials control appointments.

• Applies only to counties that voluntarily adopt charter or ordinance provisions requiring judicial council nominations for their ethics commission appointments.

• Takes effect upon approval.