STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3690

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2482

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. 2482, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEETING NOTICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Repeal the requirement for the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and county clerk's offices to timely post paper or electronic copies of all meeting notices filed by boards in a central location in a public building, and instead, require the offices to ensure access to paper or electronic copies of the notices; and

(2) Repeal the statute providing that cancellation of a meeting is not required for failure of a board to file a copy of the meeting notice with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor or the appropriate county clerk's offices and retain a copy of proof of filing the notice, or failure of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor or county clerk's offices to timely post paper or electronic copies of the meeting notice in a central location in a public building.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Lieutenant Governor and one individual.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from All Hawaii News.

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

Your Committee finds that under existing law, a board must provide a copy of its notice to the Lieutenant Governor or clerk, who must then post a paper or electronic copy in a central location in a public building. The Lieutenant Governor has historically met the posting requirement by posting paper copies in the Capitol basement and the clerks have historically posted paper copies in a prominent county office building. However, the existing law does not require posting in either of those specific locations. This measure will increase efficiency and reduce paper usage across state departments and agencies while ensuring that public access to notices is maintained.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of April 14, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

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. 2482, 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. 2482, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair