Question: A new session of the state Legislature started on Wednesday. How can I find about bills that could affect my business?
Answer: Perhaps the best way to find out what may be proposed is to cultivate relationships with legislators who sit as committee leaders in the areas of interest to your business. However, a more practical approach may be to contact the business organizations to which you belong since they may publish proposed measures affecting your business. These include the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, trade and business associations, unions, nonprofits and many more. Of course, the more involved you are with the organization and the issues that pertain to you, the easier it is to keep a finger on the pulse of change.
Once a bill has been drafted and introduced, it will be assigned either an HB or SB number indicating whether the bill originated in the House or the Senate. Often identical bills are submitted to both houses to increase the likelihood of passage. Once the number has been assigned, the legislative website will provide an amazing amount of information.
For example, by visiting capitol.hawaii.gov and doing a key-word search on "solar," a list of 73 bills still active from last session appears.
Q: If there are bills that affect my business, how do I track their movement through the Legislature?
A: Once you have located the number of the bill you wish to track, another visit to the website will allow you access its status and movement. The site provides both text and a PDF of the original bill as well as any amended versions to date. Other information about the bill including its title, description and current committee referrals is available. More important, the site will provide a complete history of the bill as it travels through the legislative process. This will include all of the written testimony submitted as well as the voting history of committee members and those of the full floor votes from the respective chambers.
The website will allow you to check for hearing dates or, more effectively, sign up for automated notices alerting you to hearings. Before a hearing, you can submit written testimony directly to the committee via the website. How easy is that? Basically, the website is sophisticated enough to allow you to get, and stay, involved from any computer.
Q: Aside from official status of a bill, is there a way to find out a bill’s real chances of passing?
A: Before the Super Bowl I like to listen to the experts discuss and predict the outcome of the game. While they are certainly knowledgeable, do they really know what will happen? In my opinion the same is true in politics and lawmaking.
Assuming the same bill is introduced in both the Senate and House, each chamber will then assign the bill to be heard by one, two or three separate or joint committees. Assuming the bill even gets a hearing, it then journeys through committees, back to the chamber floor, back to committees and back to the chamber floor. If it is still alive, the bill then crosses to the other chamber where the entire process is repeated. Along the way, the bill might be amended and changed in any number of ways. Assuming it makes it through the other chamber, the bill then goes to a conference committee to reconcile the versions passed by the separate bodies. From there it goes back to both chambers for a final vote. Then, and only if it passes through the Legislature, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it into law, veto it or do nothing, which would result in the bill becoming law.
To predict all of the moving parts is difficult. However, if you get involved, alone or with like-minded people and organizations, you will have the opportunity to inform and educate legislators through your written and oral testimony. From there, make appointments with the various committee chairpersons to meet and discuss the merits of your position. Be brief but thorough and factual in your presentation and allow time for questions and answers.
Please remember that the above actions may fall under Hawaii’s state ethics rules on lobbying. For more information on what you can do and how to report your activities, go to hawaii.gov/ethics.
Q: If there is a law or regulation that has been hindering my business, is now the time to try to get it changed?
A: By all means now is the time, as our current session opened last week. The deadline for legislators to introduce new legislation is Wednesday, and a check of this year’s calendar (capitol.hawaii.gov/legcal.aspx) shows that May 3 is the scheduled final day of the session.
While it may be too late to draft and introduce new legislation for this session, it is never too late to get involved. Do your research on the website to find any pending measures that may be similar to your specific interest. Look at that bill’s history and talk with committee leaders that may be hearing testimony on the bill. If the issue is similar, the chairperson may be able to suggest an amendment to a current bill. This is where your business organization or hui should be prepared to show that the issue affects a range of businesses or individuals.
Q: Can I have an influence on legislation even if I have no close ties with any legislators and haven’t contributed to any campaigns?
A: In a word, yes. One of the best features of our Legislature is the accessibility of it members. The Capitol is located downtown, and there is plenty of nearby parking. All 25 senators and 51 representatives have offices in the building, and the public is welcome. Start the process by meeting with legislators who represent your home district. While they might not serve on the specific committee considering your issue, they should be able to make an introduction for you to the respective committee chairpersons. Remember to call in advance and be prepared to speak with the legislator’s staff so they can research and prepare the legislator for your meeting.
Interviewed by David Butts. "Akamai Money" seeks out local experts to answer questions about business in Hawaii. If you have an issue you would like us to tackle, please email it to business@staradvertiser.com and put "Akamai Money" in the subject line.
