Office of Information Practices

OIP has been hard at work preparing two reports that summarize data from the UIPA Record Request Logs submitted by all state, county, and independent agencies for FY 2017.  Both reports are now on OIP’s Reports page at oip.hawaii.gov, which also links to the State’s open data portal at data.hawaii.gov.

FY 2017 was the fourth year that the Log was used by state agencies and the third year for county agencies.  Mahalo to all agencies that have been using the Log and providing important data to our office, which OIP has been using to draft new administrative rules on the procedures to respond to UIPA record requests.

The overall averages continue to show that Hawaii’s government agencies are completing most UIPA record requests within the ten-day time limit to respond, are granting about 80% of the requests in full or in part and denying about 6% in full, and are charging most requesters nothing in fees or costs.  No fees or costs were paid by 89% of state requesters and 52% of county requesters.  Of the requesters that paid any amounts, 83% of state requesters and 90% of county requesters paid less than $50 in fees or costs, and the majority of requesters who paid more than $50 were for-profit entities rather than individuals.  Details can be found in OIP’s reports online.

OIP has also been hard at work on its proposed administrative rules and is awaiting final review before it can hold a public hearing on them.  The proposed rules will be accompanied by an Impact Statement that will explain the rules and address many of the comments received on the draft rules that OIP unveiled in September 2017.  OIP is striving to complete the rulemaking process and create a new Log and training materials in time to educate agencies before the new rules and new Log go into effect, which would ideally be at the start of the next fiscal year on July 1, 2018.

You can stay on top of the rulemaking process through these What’s New emails, so please look for them in your inbox or check OIP’s What’s New archives.  To be added to OIP’s What’s New list, please email [email protected].  Also, if you would like to receive What’s New articles or attachments in a different format, please contact OIP at (808) 586-1400 or [email protected].