Office of Information Practices

S Memo 15-6
June 30, 2015
Public Testimony

Requester asked whether the Board of Directors for the Hawaii Public Housing Authority (HPHA) violated the Sunshine Law by allowing him to present oral testimony on an agenda item at the beginning of its June 20, 2013 meeting (Meeting) rather than when the agenda item was being discussed.

The Sunshine Law requires a board to afford all interested persons an opportunity to present oral testimony on any agenda item and to provide for reasonable administration of the testimony by rule.  HRS § 92-3 (2012).  OIP found that HPHA did not violate the Sunshine Law when it required the public to provide oral testimony on all agenda items at the beginning of a meeting and limited each person’s testimony to three minutes.