05/07/2002 03:50 PM Senate STA

                                                                                                                                
          HB 526-DISCLOSURE BY ETHICS COMMITTEE MEMBERS                                                                     
                                                                                                                              
TOM WRIGHT,  staff to Representative  Brian Porter, said  the bill                                                              
was introduced on  behalf of the Legislative Ethics  Committee. It                                                              
requires the  public nominee to the  Ethics Committee to  file his                                                              
or her  financial disclosure  on  or before the  second Monday  of                                                              
January.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT asked  if it  was an issue  of disclosure  in                                                              
general or the timing of the disclosure.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. WRIGHT replied it was the timing  of the disclosure. There was                                                              
a nominee  who went through  the process  then found out  how much                                                              
financial  information  had to  be  disclosed and  withdrew.  With                                                              
passage  of this  legislation,  they  would know  beforehand  what                                                              
would be required of them as far  as financial disclosure. It also                                                              
gives  Legislators  an  opportunity   to  look  at  the  financial                                                              
information disclosed by that person  along with their resume when                                                              
they are looking at confirmation.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
JOYCE ANDERSON,  Ethics Committee  Administrator, said  the Ethics                                                              
Committee  thought this  was  a good  change  to  the ethics  code                                                              
because  of their  experience  with the  nominee  that Mr.  Wright                                                              
mentioned.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
There were no questions and no further testimony.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT  said  he  had  not  prepared  a  CS  and  no                                                              
amendments were offered. There was  one zero fiscal note. He asked                                                              
for the will of the committee.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PHILLIPS made a motion to  move HB 526 and attached fiscal                                                              
note from committee with individual recommendations.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, it was so ordered.