STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2719

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2636

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Government Operations and Labor and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 2636 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require a board to offer remote testifiers an option to be seen and heard by the board and the public when offering remote testimony; and

(2) Authorize a board to remove or block any person who intentionally disrupts or compromises the conduct of a meeting.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Public First Law Center and one individual.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System and Office of Information Practices.

Your Committees find that some boards refuse to permit individuals to testify by videoconference without giving certain rights, such as registering in advance of a meeting. Existing law concerning remote meetings permits this behavior as long as the meeting has a telephone conference option. However, this process establishes a tiered system that denies remote testifiers the opportunity to be seen by the board while testifying. This measure will allow remote testifiers to feel confident that the board is receiving the full benefit of their testimony and they are not being ignored in favor of the in-person attendees who the board members can see.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Government Operations and Labor and Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2636 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Government Operations and Labor and Technology,

________________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Chair

________________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair