---
type: "Bill"
title: "RELATING TO ETHICS."
description: "Increases the maximum administrative fines for ethics violations. Clarifies the assessment of fines in the context of a settlement agreement. (HB508 CD1)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/hi"
legislature: "Hawaii Legislature"
session: "2017 Regular Session"
identifier: "HB 508"
citation: "Hawaii HB 508 (2017 Regular Session)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Government", "Ethics", "Fine Increases", "Settlement Agreement"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["NISHIMOTO"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 44
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2017-01-20"
last_action: "2017-06-23"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/a3779937-9b39-403b-9774-f35e79050620"
source_url: "http://capitol.hawaii.gov/Archives/measure_indiv_Archives.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=508&year=2017"
source_hash: "a875eb45f7edd36564957e2debb2203d75e3685f7fcb12a06bd68fa1ab54b02d"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-hi"]
---

# Hawaii HB 508 (2017 Regular Session) — RELATING TO ETHICS.

Increases the maximum administrative fines for ethics violations. Clarifies the assessment of fines in the context of a settlement agreement. (HB508 CD1)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **HB508** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2017/bills/HB508_.HTM)
2. **HB508_CD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2017/bills/HB508_CD1_.HTM)
3. **HB508_HD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2017/bills/HB508_HD1_.HTM)

## Votes

- The committees on JUD recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **9–0** (pass) · legislature
- The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. — **2–0** (pass) · legislature
- Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). — **25–0** (pass) · legislature
- The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **2–0** (pass) · legislature
- The committees on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. — **15–0** (pass) · legislature
- The committee(s) on JDL recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **4–0** (pass) · legislature

## Sponsors

- NISHIMOTO — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-01-20** Pending introduction.
- **2017-01-23** Pass First Reading `reading-1`
- **2017-01-25** Referred to JUD, FIN, referral sheet 3 `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-07** Bill scheduled to be heard by JUD on Thursday, 02-09-17 2:00PM in House conference room 325.
- **2017-02-09** The committees on JUD recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Nishimoto, San Buenaventura, Brower, Johanson, C. Lee, Nakashima, Oshiro, McDermott, Thielen; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti, Morikawa. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-02-17** Reported from JUD (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 531) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
- **2017-02-17** Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) DeCoite, Tokioka excused (2). `reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2017-02-27** Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Wednesday, 03-01-17 2:30PM in House conference room 308.
- **2017-03-01** The committees on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 15 Ayes: Representative(s) Luke, Cullen, Cachola, Choy, DeCoite, Gates, Keohokalole, Kobayashi, LoPresti, Lowen, Nakamura, Tokioka, Quinlan, Yamashita, Ward; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Holt, Tupola. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-03-03** Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 935), recommending passage on Third Reading.
- **2017-03-03** Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Ichiyama, McDermott excused (2). Transmitted to Senate. `passage`
- **2017-03-07** Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 104). `introduction`
- **2017-03-07** Passed First Reading. `reading-1`
- **2017-03-09** Referred to JDL, WAM. `referral-committee`
- **2017-03-13** Re-Referred to JDL.
- **2017-03-13** The committee(s) on JDL has scheduled a public hearing on 03-17-17 9:00AM in conference room 016.
- **2017-03-17** The committee(s) on JDL recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDL were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keith-Agaran, K. Rhoads, Kim, L. Thielen; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Gabbard. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-04-04** Reported from JDL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1293) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
- **2017-04-04** Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1).
- **2017-04-04** 48 Hrs. Notice 04-06-17.
- **2017-04-06** Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 24; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 1 (Senator(s) English). Transmitted to House. `passage`
- **2017-04-06** Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 492) in amended form (SD 1).
- **2017-04-07** House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).
- **2017-04-11** Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 545).
- **2017-04-17** House Conferees Appointed: Nishimoto, Cullen Co-Chairs; McDermott.
- **2017-04-17** Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 586).
- **2017-04-18** Senate Conferees Appointed: Keith-Agaran Chair; Gabbard, Kim.
- **2017-04-18** Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 680).
- **2017-04-24** Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Tuesday, 04-25-17 10:00AM in conference room 325.
- **2017-04-25** Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Wednesday 04-26-17 2:00PM in conference room 325.
- **2017-04-26** Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Thursday 04-27-17 10:30AM in conference room 325.
- **2017-04-27** The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 2 Ayes: Representative(s) Nishimoto, Cullen; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) McDermott.
- **2017-04-27** The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 2 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keith-Agaran, Gabbard; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Kim. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-04-28** Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 148) as amended in (CD 1).
- **2017-04-28** Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 05-02-17.
- **2017-04-28** Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 148).
- **2017-04-28** 48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 05-02-17.
- **2017-05-02** Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). 25 Aye(s); Aye(s) with reservations: none . 0 No(es): none. 0 Excused: none.
- **2017-05-02** Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Ichiyama excused (1).
- **2017-05-03** Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 737).
- **2017-05-04** Received notice of passage on Final Reading in House (Hse. Com. No. 642).
- **2017-05-03** Transmitted to Governor.
- **2017-06-23** Act 050, 06/22/2017 (Gov. Msg. No. 1150). `executive-signature`
- **2017-06-23** Act 050, on 06/22/2017 (Gov. Msg. No. 1150). `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/a3779937-9b39-403b-9774-f35e79050620`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Hawaii legislature records).