What’s New

Image of a Lanikai beach at sunrise.

OIP’S OFFICE REOPENS

Posted on Jun 5, 2020 in Featured, What's New

Now that the State of Hawaii is in the “Act with Care” stage and offices are allowed to reopen, OIP’s office located at 250 S. Hotel Street, Suite 107, Honolulu will be open from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, except State holidays, effective June 8, 2020.  For everyone’s health and safety, ...
Read More OIP’S OFFICE REOPENS

The state Office of Information Practice (OIP) is pleased to announce that the State Calendar process has been changed to allow the electronic posting of emergency and continued meetings with less than six days’ notice. The Sunshine Law requires notice of meetings of state boards to be electronically posted on the State Calendar.  Although emergency ...
Read More STATE CALENDAR ALLOWS POSTING OF EMERGENCY OR CONTINUED MEETING NOTICES

OIP POSTS 4 NEW OPINIONS

Posted on May 21, 2020 in Featured, What's New

Now that its powers have been restored, the state Office of Information Practices posted three new informal memorandum opinion summaries and the full text of a new formal opinion on its opinions page at oip.hawaii.gov. In  OIP Opinion Letter No. F20-3, OIP concluded that the budget committee of the Honolulu City Council violated the Sunshine ...
Read More OIP POSTS 4 NEW OPINIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the possibility of future crises, have changed many things forever, including some ways that government may be conducted.  While the partial suspension of Hawaii’s open records and open meetings laws are temporary until amended or terminated by the Governor’s emergency orders, there could be lasting changes in how the public will ...
Read More OIP COLLECTING COMMENTS FOR DRAFT LEGISLATION

OIP POWERS REINSTATED

Posted on May 6, 2020 in Featured, What's New

Late yesterday, most of OIP’s powers and duties were reinstated by Governor David Ige’s Seventh Supplementary Proclamation issued on May 5, 2020 (SP7), which is now posted on OIP’s website.  SP7 continues to partly suspend both the state’s Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA) (Chapter 92F, HRS), and the Sunshine Law (Part I of Chapter 92, ...
Read More OIP POWERS REINSTATED

In addition to the virtual public meeting tips posted last week, the state Office of Information Practices (OIP) would like to pass along information about virtual meeting technology training and how boards can make those meetings accessible to disabled persons.  The Microsoft Teams Live Event online training that was recorded and posted by the State ...
Read More ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETINGS

During this unprecedented COVID-19 emergency when the Sunshine Law has been partially suspended and people have been ordered to shelter at home, several boards have used technology to hold virtual public meetings so that they can continue to do their important work with public participation while keeping everyone safe from infection.  We don’t know when ...
Read More OIP’S TIPS FOR HOLDING A VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING

As the COVID-19 virus has become a global pandemic and a serious threat to the health and welfare of our State’s population, the Uniform Information Practices Act (Modified), chapter 92F, HRS (UIPA), was temporarily suspended, and the Sunshine Law, part I of chapter 92, HRS, was substantially suspended, by the Supplemental Proclamation of Governor Ige dated March 16, 2020 (SP), to give government the maximum flexibility to ...
Read More OIP’S ADVICE FOR AGENCIES AND BOARDS DURING THE TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF THE LAWS

The Hawai’i Supreme Court issued a new opinion, which essentially held that (1) the Circuit Court did not abuse its discretion in reviewing in camera an allegedly confidential investigative report sent by the Attorney General’s Office to the Legislature, and (2) the report could not be withheld under the exception in the Uniform Information Practices ...
Read More NEW SUPREME COURT AND OIP OPINIONS ARE POSTED

Image of a Lanikai beach at sunrise.

COVID-19 EMERGENCY MEASURES

Posted on Mar 18, 2020 in Featured, What's New

As the COVID-19 virus has become a global pandemic and a serious threat to the health and welfare of our state’s population, the Uniform Information Practices Act (Modified), chapter 92F, HRS, was temporarily suspended and the Sunshine Law, part I of chapter 92, HRS, substantially suspended by the Supplemental Memorandum of Governor Ige dated March ...
Read More COVID-19 EMERGENCY MEASURES