STAND. COM. REP. NO. 41

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 481

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 481 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INFORMAL MEETINGS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to clarify Hawaii's open meetings law by:

(1) Providing that informational meetings and presentations on matters relating to official board business that are attended by a limited number of board members must be open to the public; and

(2) Exempting members of a county council from the limitation on the number of board members that may attend an informational meeting or presentation.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from a Councilmember of the Maui County Council and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of Information Practices, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest, and Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter. Your Committee received comments on this measure from Common Cause Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that this measure is intended to clarify Hawaii's open meetings law to allow county councilmembers to be better informed about the issues affecting their constituents.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 481, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 481, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair