STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3661

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1599

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1599, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SUNSHINE LAW,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require public meeting notices to inform members of the public how to provide remote oral testimony in a manner that allows the testifier, upon request, to be visible to board members and other meeting participants; and

(2) Recognize a board's authority to remove and block individuals who disrupt meetings.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund, Disability and Communication Access Board, Public First Law Center, and ACLU of Hawaiʻi.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Information Practices.

Your Committee finds that existing law permits boards to refuse to permit individuals to testify by videoconference without giving up certain rights, such as disclosing their identity or registering in advance of a meeting. Your Committee further finds that this process creates a tiered system that denies remote testifiers the opportunity to be visible in front of board members while testifying. This measure will ensure that members of the public have the opportunity to participate by both audio and video means at remote meetings subject to the Sunshine Law.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2025.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1599, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1599, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair