SB 1557 Summary

• Establishes procedures for custody, inventory, and care of protocol gifts received by legislators and state employees on behalf of the State or either house of the Legislature from foreign officials, federal officers, or other government entities.

• Requires recipients to report protocol gifts to the state archives within 30 days of receipt, including gift description, date received, donor identity, and current location.

• Designates all protocol gifts as property of the State regardless of whether the recipient remains in office, and requires recipients to exercise reasonable care in maintaining the gifts.

• Permits recipients to display protocol gifts in their offices or transfer them to the state archives at any time; requires updating location records or transferring custody within 30 days when leaving a position.

• Excludes protocol gifts from personal gifts disclosure reporting requirements under Hawaii's ethics code, establishing separate tracking procedures through the state archives instead of personal gift disclosures.