HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1598
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to the sunshine law.

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

SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to:

(1) Require board packets to be made available two business days, rather than forty-eight hours, before a board meeting; and

(2) Clarify that public testimony may be provided to board members prior to the meeting.

SECTION 2. Section 92-7.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§92-7.5 Board packet; filing; public inspection; notice. At the time the board packet is distributed to the board members, but no later than [forty-eight hours] two business days before the meeting [time], the board shall also make the board packet available for public inspection in the board's office; provided that nothing in this section shall require creation of a board packet[.]; provided further that nothing in this section shall prohibit the distribution of public testimony to board members before the meeting. The board shall provide notice to persons requesting notification of meetings pursuant to section 92-7(e) that the board packet is available for inspection in the board's office and shall provide reasonably prompt access to the board packet to any person upon request. The board is not required to mail board packets. As soon as practicable, the board shall accommodate requests for electronic access to the board packet.

For purposes of this section, "board packet" means documents that are compiled by the board and distributed to board members before a meeting for use at that meeting, to the extent the documents are public under chapter 92F; provided that this section shall not require disclosure of executive session minutes, license applications, or other records for which the board cannot reasonably complete its redaction of nonpublic information in the time available before the public inspection required by this section."

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 Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.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

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

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Sunshine Law; Board Packet; Public Inspection; Notice; Testimony

Description:

Establishes that board packets shall be made available for public inspection no later than two business days, rather than forty-eight hours, before a board meeting. Clarifies that public testimony may be submitted to the board before the meeting.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.