Office of Information Practices

The state Office of Information Practices (OIP) provides the following update of the most important bills affecting the UIPA or Sunshine Law that it has been monitoring, which are still alive at this point in the legislative process:

Establish a reasonable duty of care to maintain government records:  S.B. 2294, S.D. 1 passed the Senate with OIP’s suggested amendments and has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee, then the Finance Committee.  S.B. 140 is a similar proposal that remains in conference from last year.

Electronic notice and board packets for public meetings:  Both S.B. 2293, S.D. 1 and H.B. 369, H.D. 1 have not advanced, but a similar measure, S.B. 475, remains in conference from 2015.

Limited meetings for county councils:  S.B. 2121, S.D. 1 eliminates the sunset date for Act 221, SLH 2014 and retains strict limitations over councilmembers’ attendance at another board or community group’s meeting.  The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

Address confidentiality for domestic violence victims:  S.B. 2318, S.D. 1 crossed over to the House, where the Human Services Committee voted today to accept amendments addressing OIP’s main concerns.  The bill goes next to the  Judiciary Committee, then the Finance Committee.

OIP has also been closely following other bills that do not directly involve the UIPA or Sunshine Law, such as S.B. 2411, S.D. 1 providing funds to the counties for police body cameras, which has crossed over to the House and was referred to the Committees on Judiciary, then Finance.  OIP further notes that S.B. 3016, S.D. 1, which would have repealed the UIPA exception from disclosure for suspended police officer records, did not make it out of the Senate.

For copies of the bills, committee reports, testimony, committee referrals, status, and other information, please go to the Legislature’s website at capitol.hawaii.gov.