HANO AGENDA, JULY 2010

President's message:

Proposed bill would remove
nonprofits' 'cloak of invisibility'

Last week, I joined my counterparts from other states in Washington, D.C. for the member meeting of HANO's national organization, the National Council of Nonprofits. It was great to share best practices and learn from state associations that have been at this stuff for years.
 
Issues of public policy, both at the federal and state level, were high on the agenda.  While on the Hill, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) introduced a landmark measure, HR 5533, the Nonprofit Sector and Community Solutions Act, that seeks enhanced coordination, communication and data collection for the nonprofit sector.

National Council President and CEO Tim Delaney said, "This landmark legislation removes the cloak of invisibility that the federal government seems to have draped over the nonprofit sector. ... We have a government that can tell us with precision how many iceberg lettuce heads were pulled out of the ground last year. Yet it cannot tell us how many heads of individuals were employed by nonprofits," he said.  "Why are iceberg lettuce heads more valuable than the people who take care of America's communities?"
 
Representative McCollum has now made this a bipartisan effort, convincing several key Republicans to sign on, although Hawaii's representatives have yet to join them.  For more information on this measure, click here.
 
On the state front, it is likely that Governor Lingle will veto HB 1907, which reduces the amount of itemized tax deductions that donors can claim. HANO supports the veto because the measure reduces an incentive for charitable giving. The bill is one of 39 that were on a potential veto list that the Governor's office released on June 21.  She has until July 6 to make a final decision.
 
Finally, a new state law, Act 155, will go into effect today, July 1. The law applies to nonprofit corporations that fail to file required general excise tax reports and payments.  It makes directors, officers and employees personally liable for unpaid taxes, and results in loss of state tax-exempt status. HANO opposed this bill during session because it would hinder volunteerism in the nonprofit sector. The first article of this newsletter issue provides more details. 
  
There is so much to keep abreast of, and we try our best to keep you in the loop. Please enjoy this month's newsletter.
 
Aloha, 
 
Lisa Maruyama
HANO President & CEO

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