STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1420

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 723

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 723, H.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 expand the application of the State's Sunshine Law to legislatively appointed bodies, including task forces, working groups, commissions, special committees, and select committees, unless specifically exempted by the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Information Practices, Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that the Sunshine Law is Hawaii's open meeting law and governs the manner in which all state and county boards must conduct their official business. This measure expands the Sunshine Law onto groups and bodies related to and created by the Legislature thereby increasing transparency of the State and better informing the public.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the legislative findings;

(2) Removing language that would have allowed the Legislature to provide an exemption to the Sunshine Law in any bill or resolution establishing a legislatively appointed body; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 723, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 723, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Operations,

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ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair