04/29/2002 09:05 AM House RLS

HB 526-DISCLOSURE BY ETHICS COMMITTEE MEMBERS                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOTT  announced that  the last order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  252, "An  Act  relating to  the construction  of                                                               
certain statutes relating  to children; relating to  the scope of                                                               
duty and  standard of  care for persons  who provide  services to                                                               
certain  children and  families; and  providing for  an effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PORTER  informed  the committee  that  the  House                                                               
Rules Standing Committee was asked  by the Chairman of the Select                                                               
Committee  on  Legislative  Ethics  to  consider  HB  526,  which                                                               
Representative  Porter viewed  as  positive.   He explained  that                                                               
during the  last selection  process for  the Select  Committee on                                                               
Legislative  Ethics,  a public  member  went  through the  entire                                                               
process of  selection and confirmation  and then  discovered what                                                               
had  to  be   revealed  in  the  financial   disclosures.    That                                                               
individual,  due   to  their  employment,   felt  such   was  too                                                               
excessive.   Therefore, [HB 526] allows  the financial disclosure                                                               
to  coincide with  the appointment  and  confirmation process  in                                                               
order   that  the   legislature   would  have   access  to   that                                                               
information.    More importantly,  it  would  provide the  public                                                               
member  with  the requirements  so  that  he/she could  determine                                                               
whether they want to continue with the process at all.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Number 2099                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
JOYCE  ANDERSON, Administrator,  Select Committee  on Legislative                                                               
Ethics,   testified   via   teleconference  in   agreement   with                                                               
Representative  Porter's explanation.    She  related her  belief                                                               
that  this situation  has happened  with more  than one  nominee.                                                               
During a recent  meeting [of the Select  Committee on Legislative                                                               
Ethics] it was mentioned that  during the confirmation process it                                                               
would be appropriate for the  House and Senate Judiciary Standing                                                               
Committees to have the  financial disclosure statements available                                                               
with the resume.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOTT closed public testimony.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 2449                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ moved to report  HB 526 out of committee                                                               
with individual recommendations and  the accompanying zero fiscal                                                               
note.   There being no  objection, HB  526 was reported  from the                                                               
House Rules Standing Committee.