RE-ESTABLISHING A COMMISSION TO IMPROVE STANDARDS OF CONDUCT TO EXAMINE THE STRUCTURAL CONDITIONS OF THE HAWAII STATE LEGISLATURE THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE FEDERAL CONVICTION OF A FORMER REPRESENTATIVE IN CONNECTION WITH A BRIBERY SCANDAL, AND TO RECOMMEND REFORMS.

This bill re-establishes the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct in the Hawaii State Legislature to investigate structural issues that may have enabled a 2022 bribery conviction of a former representative. The commission will examine how concentrated power among legislative leaders and lack of transparency in bill advancement processes create opportunities for corruption. Its duties include reviewing existing rules, assessing accountability measures, and comparing Hawaii's system with other states' reform models before submitting recommendations to the Legislature by early 2027.