Office of Information Practices

With the crossover of bills to the opposite legislative chamber on March 10, these are the significant bills that are still alive and being tracked by the state Office of Information Practices.  The bills and other information can be found on the legislative website at capitol.hawaii.gov.

H.B. 2026, H.D. 2 relating to Chapter 92, HRS:  If board packets are prepared, requires them to be made available to the public 24 hours before a meeting. Creates a new permitted interaction allowing boards to prepare on short notice testimony regarding previously adopted legislative positions, provided that the board must communicate in writing and make the communications available online to the public. Prevents boards from limiting oral testimony only to the beginning of a meeting.  Also makes the Sunshine Law applicable to all adjudicatory functions concerning land use.

S.B. 2143, S.D. 2 relating to Board Meetings:  If board packets are prepared, requires them to be made available to the public 48 hours before a meeting.  Prevents boards from limiting oral testimony only to the beginning of a meeting.

S.B. 3172, S.D. 1 relating to Public Agency Meetings:  Requires boards that record public meetings to keep one copy of an electronic or video recording they make of the meetings.  Also requires board to create full written minutes for all meetings, eliminating the option of recorded minutes accompanied by a written summary.

H.B. 2025, H.D. 2 relating to the Sunshine Law:  Requires the disclosure of the names of minors present with board members during a remote meeting only if the minor has a private interest in any board matter being discussed.

H.B. 2037, H.D. 2 relating to the Office of Information Practices:  Allows written  guidance in lieu of opinions in certain appeals to OIP.

H.B. 2303, H.D. 1 relating to the UIPA:  Reinstates the deliberative process privilege with a balancing test that would allow certain internal decision-making materials to be withheld only if the impairment of the agency’s ability to make sound and fair decisions outweighs the public interest in disclosure.