STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2412

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2849

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 2849 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require certain information to appear at the beginning of notices for public hearings.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the National Federation of the Blind, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Public First Law Center, and three individuals.

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

Your Committee finds that the core purpose of public meeting agendas is to inform the public of the operations and affairs of government agencies. Your Committee further finds that many government agencies currently front-end their agendas with administrative and procedural provisions before detailing the substantive agenda items. Your Committee believes this arrangement creates an unnecessary barrier to public review and disproportionately affects individuals with disabilities. This measure will promote equitable access, government transparency, and civic participation by requiring substantive items be placed at the beginning of the agendas of public agencies.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2525, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) 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 S.B. No. 2849, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2849, 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