STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1632

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 1513

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1513 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC AGENCY MEETINGS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require a public agency board to report any discussion or final action taken during an executive meeting; provided that the disclosure is not inconsistent with the purpose of convening the executive meeting and giving the Board discretion to maintain confidentiality.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Information Practices.

Your Committee finds that the Sunshine Law, part I of chapter 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes, allows government boards to go into a closed executive session for a limited list of purposes, but the minutes of an executive session can only be withheld to the extent necessary to protect the purpose of convening the executive session. This measure would promote public access without undermining a board's ability to use executive sessions when authorized to do so.

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 S.B. No. 1513 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair