HB 1341 Summary

• Establishes a new office of public accountability administratively attached to the legislature, headed by an executive director appointed by majority vote of both houses for a six-year term.

• Consolidates oversight of five entities under the office of public accountability: office of the auditor (audit division), office of the ombudsman and office of information practices (complaints division), Hawaii state ethics commission (ethics division), and campaign spending commission (campaign spending division).

• Requires the legislature to set salaries for the auditor, ombudsman, ethics commission executive director, and legislative reference bureau director, which cannot be diminished during their terms of office.

• Removes administrative placement of these entities from various departments (department of accounting and general services, office of the auditor) and consolidates them under the new public accountability office.

• Appropriates unspecified general revenue funds for fiscal years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 to operate the office of public accountability, effective July 1, 2021.