Office of Information Practices

S Memo 09-9
January 14, 2009
Sufficiency of Agenda and Circulation of Proposed Amendments to Bill

A member of the Kauai County Council asked whether the agenda language for a Council meeting would have allowed the Council to discuss amendments to a bill, and secondly, whether proposed versions of the bill could be circulated before the Council meeting. 

OIP concluded that the Council’s agenda for the meeting did not adequately describe the bill and all of its amendments. Although two areas of amendment were anticipated and listed on the agenda, the agenda should have listed all the major topic areas to be amended. 

In addition, OIP opined that proposed amendments to the bill could have been circulated among board members before the meeting as long as there was no discussion of or voting on the proposed versions before the meeting.