Report Title:

Sunshine law

 

Description:

Removes budget worksheets from exception to public disclosure.

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1702

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

  

STATE OF HAWAII

  

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO THE OPENING OF BUDGET WORKSHEETS TO PUBLIC INSPECTION.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to remove budget worksheets from the exceptions to the general rule of opening government records for public inspection. The legislature finds that open government is the best form of government. An open government fosters trust, community activism, and increased participation in government. By opening the budget worksheets to public inspection during the 2001 Regular Session, the legislature took a step towards making government more responsive and open to the people of Hawaii. This Act will perpetuate the move towards an open and more democratic government.

SECTION 2. Section 92F-13, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§92F-13 Government records; exceptions to general rule. This part shall not require disclosure of:

(1) Government records which, if disclosed, would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;

(2) Government records pertaining to the prosecution or defense of any judicial or quasi-judicial action to which the State or any county is or may be a party, to the extent that such records would not be discoverable;

(3) Government records that, by their nature, must be confidential in order for the government to avoid the frustration of a legitimate government function;

(4) Government records which, pursuant to state or federal law including an order of any state or federal court, are protected from disclosure; and

(5) Inchoate and draft working papers of legislative committees including [budget worksheets and] unfiled committee reports; work product; records or transcripts of an investigating committee of the legislature which are closed by rules adopted pursuant to section 21-4 and the personal files of members of the legislature."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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