STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1219

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1148

       H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 1148, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to amend the public agency meetings law by:

 

     (1)  Adding a definition of "State calendar" for purposes of posting public notice;

 

     (2)  Adding emergency meeting to the types of meetings for which the giving of written public notice is required;

 

     (3)  Requiring that public notice of meetings be posted electronically on the State calendar, and requiring a county board to file the notice in the appropriate county clerk's office, and if notice cannot be posted on the State calendar because of an interruption in service that prevents its access, then filing the notice in the Office of Information Practices for posting on the State calendar as soon as service is restored; and

 

     (4)  Clarifying the requirements for posting of an emergency agenda and findings for holding the emergency meeting.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from government entities.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that by having board meeting notices made available on the Internet, the public would have greater accessibility to the information.  This is especially important for our neighbor island residents who do not have physical access to meeting notices posted only on Oahu.  This measure modernizes State functions in this area consistent with the intent and purpose of establishing the State's Internet Portal.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1148, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair