STAND. COM. REP. NO.786

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1636

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1636, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require that county executive vision teams that advise and make recommendations on specific projects comply with the open meetings laws.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, the Pro-Democracy Initiative, and Life of the Land. The Office of Information Practices supported the measure and proposed amendments. The City & County of Honolulu and the Department of the Corporation Counsel opposed the measure.

Your Committee finds that the open meetings laws do not always apply to hybrid public-private organizations that have both governmental and non-governmental qualities. This has resulted in much public confusion and frustration.

Your Committee further finds that Vision teams were created by the Mayor of City and County of Honolulu to act as advisory board in planning the future of their communities and neighborhoods. Vision teams provide advice on expenditure of public funds in their communities and teams have been allocated approximately $2,000,000 each to spend or advise on spending with respect to community project. Your Committee believes that the public should be involved in decisions about the expenditure of public funds.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1636, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair