In one of its first substantive actions of the legislative session, the state House yesterday approved a bipartisan ethics committee that will investigate complaints about lawmaker misconduct.

"We believe that it will heighten the level for all of us to know the standard we have to live up to," said House Majority Leader Kirk Caldwell, D-24th (Manoa).

In addition to setting up a panel that will look into sworn complaints from lawmakers, the House also set a firmer definition for conflicts of interest and tightened up the 48-hour notice rule for public hearings to require that notices for Monday or Tuesday hearings have to be filed by 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

While the House ethics committee will have some overlap with the state Ethics Commission, Caldwell said the House panel can look at a broader range of complaints.

"I think it can look at almost any complaint that's filed to it that deals with standards of conduct," he said.

As for penalties, "I think it runs from everything from a slap on the wrist — basically a letter that says don't do it again — to expulsion," Caldwell said.

Expulsion would require a recommendation to the full House and a vote by a two-thirds majority.

Members could also find themselves stripped of leadership posts or committee assignments.

The committee's work will be kept confidential until it decides that a full investigation is warranted. Part of the rationale is that a public process would mean that any alleged misdoing could be reported, regardless of whether the lawmaker was guilty.

"There would be a lot of room for mischief," said Rep. Colleen Meyer, R-47th (La'ie, Hau'ula, Punalu'u).